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®t£   Glttfiea  ^jertes 


UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 


A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 


EDWARD    STRATEMEYER 

AUTHOR  OF  "UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA"    "A  YOUNG  VOLUNTEER 

IN    CUBA"      "FIGHTING    IN    CUBAN    WATERS"     "RICHARD 

DARE'S   VENTURE"    "OLIVER   BRIGHT'S   SEARCH" 

"  TO  ALASKA  FOR  GOLD  "   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
A.   B.   SHUTE 


BOSTON : 
LOTHROP,   LEE   &   SHEPARD   CO, 


Ooptxight,  1899,  by  Lee  axd  Shepakd. 


All  Bights  Reserved. 


Uwdbb  Otis  nr  the  Philippikm. 


Nortnooti  tytta* 

J.  8.  Cuihing  fc  Co.  —  Berwick  *  Smith 

Norwood  Mm.  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

"Undeb  Otis  in  the  Philippines  "  is  a  com- 
plete story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  fourth  volume 
of  the  "  Old  Glory  Series,"  tales  of  life  and  adven- 
ture in  our  army  and  navy  of  to-day. 

All  these  stories  relate,  primarily,  the  haps  and 
mishaps  that  befall  the  three  Russell  brothers, 
Larry,  Ben,  and  Walter.  In  the  first  volume  we 
followed  the  fortunes  of  Larry  while  "  Under  Dewey 
at  Manila";  in  the  second  we  marched  with  Ben 
as  "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba "  ;  and  in  the  third 
we  witnessed  what  Walter  could  do  while  "Fight- 
ing in  Cuban  Waters." 

In  the  present  tale  the  scene  is  shifted  back  to 
Manila  Bay  and  the  island  of  Luzon.  Larry  has 
returned  to  his  old  place  on  board  Admiral  Dewey's 
flagship,  Olympia,  and  Ben  has  reenlisted,  and 
become  a  second  lieutenant  of  volunteers  in  our 
army  of  occupation.  For  the  sailor  boy  there  is 
little  to  do,  but  the  soldier  boy  is  kept  busy,  first 
in  helping  to  defend  the   intrenchments  about  the 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

city,  and  then  in  participating  in  the  capture  of 
Caloocan,  Malabon,  Polo,  and  the  rebel  capital, 
Malolos,  as  well  as  in  aiding  to  quell  the  great 
riot  which  broke  out  when  the  Tondo  district  of 
Manila  was  burnt  to  the  ground,  —  a  fire  entailing  a 
loss,  according  to  General  Otis's  estimate,  of  half 
a  million  dollars,  not  to  mention  the  many  lives 
that  were  sacrificed. 

In  the  penning  of  this  tale  the  writer  has  aimed 
to  be  as  accurate,  historically,  as  possible,  and  for 
this  purpose  many  reports  have  been  examined, — 
reports  not  only  of  those  high  in  authority,  but 
also  the  accounts  sent  in  by  private  parties  who 
were  in  good  positions  to  witness  what  was  occur- 
ring. Many  of  the  incidents  of  camp  life  are  such 
as  have  come  from  the  lips  of  the  returning  volun- 
teers themselves. 

When  the   Series  was  begun  it  was  hoped  that 

it  would  find  a  cordial  reception  among  both  critics 

and  the  public  in  general.      That  hope   has   been 

more  than  fulfilled,  and  the  author  now  trusts  that 

the  present  volume  will  be  as  well  received  as  those 

which  have  gone  before. 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER. 
Newark,  N.J., 

August  1, 1899. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.    The  Sailing  of  the  Transport    ...  1 

II.    Getting  into  Trouble 10 

III.  An  Unreasonable  Quartermaster      .        .  21 

IV.  Something  about  the  Fall  of  Manila       .  31 
V.    Struck  in  the  Dark  41 

VI.    Jack  Biddle  speaks  his  Mind        ...  50 

VII.    Gibraltar,  and  the  Plot  against  Larry  .  61 

VIII.    An  Adventure  on  the  Island  of  Malta   .  73 

IX.    The  Plot  comes  to  a  Head  ....  83 

X.    Stranded  among  Strangers  ....  92 

XI.    The  Exposure  of  the  Guilty  Ones     .        .  102 

XII.    Through  the  Suez  Canal  to  the  Red  Sea  112 

XIII.    A  Hurricane  on  the  Indian  Ocean    .        .  123 

XJV.    The  Philippine  Islands  and  General  Agui- 

naldo 133 

XV.    In  which  Larry  joins  the  olympia   once 

More 142 

XVI.    Life  in  the  City  of  Manila         .        .        .  151 

XVH.    An  Uprising  in  the  Streets          .        .        ,  160 

v 


VI 


CONTENTS 


CHAPT1B 

XVIH. 


XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 
XXIII. 
XXIV. 

XXV. 
XXVI. 

xxvn. 

XXVHI. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

xxxn. 


Something    about    Major-General    Otis 

and  his  Command 170 

The  Rebel  Attack  upon  the  City    .        .181 

The  Second  Day  of  the  Attack       .        .  191 

The  Taking  of  Cemetery  Ridge        .        .  201 

Ben  goes  on  a  Hunt  for  Gilbert    .        .  214 

In  a  Filipino  Encampment  ....  224 

Into  the  Jungle  and  Out  ....  233 

The  Taking  of  Caloocan    ....  244 

A  Strange  Meeting  in  Manila         .       .  254 

The  Chase  in  the  Dark      ....  264 
The  Burning  of  the  Tondo  Quarter  of 

Manila 272 

A  Letter  from  Job  Dowling      .        .        .  282 

Fighting  at  Polo  and  Novaliches  .        .  293 

"On  to  Malolos!" 304 

The  Capture  of   the   Rebel   Capital  — 

Conclusion 318 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Again  the  steed  reared  and  plunged  "        .       Frontispiect 

PAGE 

•"I'll  show  you  who  you  are  talking  to'"  .        .      57 

"  *  Do   you   men   belong   to    Quartermaster    Yarrow's 

SQUAD?'" 101 

"'Drop  it,  or  I'll  fire'" 161 

"  •  He's  a  goner,  lieutenant  "' 205 

"He  and  Gilbert  raised  the  body  between  them"      .  237 

"in  a  moment  the  three  americans  were  in  a  bunch  "  279 

"  »  Stand  firm,  boys  ! '  he  shouted  " 297 

vii 


UNDEE  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  SAILING  OF  THE  TRANSPORT 

"  We  are  off  at  last !  Hurrah  for  Manila  and 
Uncle  Sam's  soldier  boys  ! " 

"Yes,  off  at  last,  Ben,  and  I  am  not  sorry.  Life 
on  land  doesn't  suit  me  any  more." 

"  That  is  because  you  are  getting  to  be  a  regular 
sea-dog,  Larry.  I  suppose  you  are  fairly  aching 
to  be  on  board  the  Olympia  once  more  with  Luke 
Striker  and  your  other  old  friends." 

"I'm  aching  to  get  back  to  the  flagship  to  do 
my  duty  as  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  jackies,  Ben,  —  just 
as  you  are  to  get  back  to  the  ranks  of  the  army. 
Both  of  us  have  been  idle  long  enough,  with  such 
stirring  times  going  on  in  the  Philippines.  I  wish 
we  had  been  there  when  the  city  of  Manila  sur- 
rendered." 

1 


2  TJNDEB   OTIS  IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"So  do  I.  But  a  fellow  can't  be  everywhere. 
I  wasn't  mustered  out  of  the  Cuban  service  until 
after  that  time.  See,  we  are  making  a  turn  past 
the  wharf,  and  there  are  Walter  and  Uncle  Job. 
Good-by,  Walter,  good-by  !  "  And  Ben  Russell 
raised  his  voice  to  its  full  extent,  while  his  younger 
brother  Larry  joined  in  with  equal  heartiness. 
"Good-by,  Uncle  Job!" 

"  Good-by,  boys  !  "  came  back  faintly,  and  a 
waving  of  handkerchiefs  followed.  "  Good  luck 
to  you,  and  may  you  come  back  covered  with 
glory  !  " 

The  cries  and  hurrahs  were  taken  up  on  all 
sides,  for  the  noble  steamship,  but  recently  pressed 
into  service  as  a  United  States  transport,  was  loaded 
down  with  troops,  infantry,  and  artillery,  and  all 
along  shore  there  was  a  jam  of  people  who  had 
come  to  see  them  off  on  their  long  trip  from  Brook- 
lyn to  Manila,  thousands  of  miles  away.  In  the 
midst  of  the  uproar  the  military  band  belonging 
to  one  of  the  regiments  of  volunteers  struck  up 
the  familiar  air,  "  Auld  Lang  Syne,"  and  scores  of 
voices  took  up  the  words  of  the  song. 

"  This  makes  me  feel  as  I  did  when  the  71st  left 
Tampa  for  Cuba,  "  remarked  Ben.     "  Only  at  that 


THE   SAILING  OF  THE  TRANSPORT  3 

time  I  was  among  friends,  and  now  I  am  among 
strangers. " 

"  Gracious,  Ben,  you  are  not  going  to  call  me  a 
stranger,  are  you  ?  "  queried  some  one  at  his  elbow. 
"Perhaps  your  shoulder  straps  have  elevated  you 
above  the  old  crowd." 

"  Gilbert  Pennington  !  "  was  the  joyful  rejoinder, 
and  a  warm  handshake  followed.  "  And  in  uni- 
form !     What  does  this  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  that  I  couldn't  stay  behind,"  was  the 
answer.  "When  I  heard  that  you  and  Captain 
Roberts  and  Stummer  and  the  others  had  reen- 
listed,  I  threw  up  that  new  position  and  went 
down  to  the  recruiting-office,  and  here  I  am,  first 
sergeant  of  Company  B  of  our  regiment,  while  you 
are  second  lieutenant  of  Company  D." 

"  Are  any  of  the  old  crowd  with  you  ?  " 

"Four,  all  told, — but  there  are  at  least  fifty  of 
the  Rough  Riders  in  the  Philippine  service  already, 
so  I'll  feel  more  or  less  at  home  when  I  arrive  in 
Manila.  I  suppose  this  is  your  brother  Larry  who 
sent  those  long  letters  to  you  while  you  were  in 
Cuba." 

"Yes,  I  am  Larry,"  came  from  the  young  tar. 
"  And  you  are  Ben's  old  chum.     We'll  have  to  be 


4  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

chums  too,  after  this  —  at  least,  until  we  land  in  the 
Philippines.  Then  I  suppose  we'll  have  to  separate, 
—  and  each  fight  in  his  own  way  for  all  he  knows 
how  !  "  And  with  a  laugh  on  both  sides  the  pair 
shook  hands* 

The  Russell  boys  were  three  in  number, —  Ben 
being  the  oldest,  Walter  next,  and  light-hearted 
Larry  the  youngest.  In  the  former  volumes  of  this 
series,  entitled  respectively,  "  Under  Dewey  at  Ma- 
nila," "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba,"  and  "  Fight- 
ing in  Cuban  Waters,"  I  told  how  the  youths  had 
been  left,  at  the  death  of  their  mother,  to  the  care 
of  their  uncle,  Job  Dowling,  a  miserly  man  who 
cared  for  little  but  to  make  money  and  save  it. 
Although  the  boys  had  a  fine  inheritance  coming 
to  them,  the  treatment  they  received  was  so  out- 
rageous that  they  all  ran  away  from  home,  Larry 
being  taken  against  his  will  on  a  freight  car  to 
Oakland,  California,  just  across  the  bay  from  San 
Francisco  ;  Ben  working  his  way  to  New  York  ;  and 
Walter  drifting  to  Boston. 

At  San  Francisco  Larry  shipped  for  a  trip  on 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  after  numerous  adventures 
was  cast  away  with  a  friend  of  his,  Luke  Striker, 
and  picked  up  by  the  Asiatic  Squadron,  under  Com- 


THE   SAILING  OF  THE  TRANSPORT  5 

modore  (afterwards  Admiral)  Dewey,  just  in  time 
to  participate  in  the  stirring  battle  of  Manila 
Bay. 

At  this  time  the  war  fever  was  at  its  height,  and, 
thrown  out  of  the  position  he  had  obtained  because 
of  a  fire,  Ben  enlisted  in  the  71st  Regiment  of 
New  York,  went  to  Cuba  with  our  army  of  inva- 
sion, and  fought  nobly  throughout  the  campaign 
leading  to  the  surrender  of  Santiago.  During  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  battle  of  San  Juan  Hill,  the 
young  volunteer  did  a  great  service  for  a  certain 
Major  Starwell  of  the  Regulars,  and  for  this  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  second  lieutenant,  a 
rank  which  was  still  allowed  to  him  upon  reenlist- 
ing  for  service  in  the  far  East. 

At  Boston,  Walter  Russell  had  enlisted  in  the 
navy  and  been  assigned  to  the  Brooklyn,  Commo- 
dore Schley's  flagship.  How  the  Spanish  fleet  in 
Cuban  waters  was  destroyed,  and  what  part  the 
stanch  Brooklyn  took  in  the  contest,  are  now 
matters  of  history.  That  Walter  was  not  back- 
ward in  doing  his  whole  duty  during  these  lively 
times  my  old  readers  already  know. 

The  running  away  of  the  three  youths  had 
angered  Job  Dowling  greatly,  and  he  had  started 


D  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

out  from  his  home  in  Buffalo  to  "  bring  'em  back 
and  teach  'em  the  lesson  they  needed."  Larry 
was  out  of  his  reach,  so  his  first  move  was  after 
Ben,  who,  as  he  managed  to  learn,  was  in  New 
York.  On  this  trip  to  the  metropolis  the  old  man 
took  with  him  some  heirlooms  belonging  to  the 
Russell  family,  intending  to  sell  them  if  he  could 
get  a  fair  price.  He  knew  that  the  valuables  ought 
not  to  be  sold,  they  having  been  left  to  his  wards 
as  keepsakes,  but  to  his  narrow  mind  to  treasure 
the  articles  was  sheer  foolishness,  "  when  the  money 
from  'em  might  be  in  the  bank  a-drawin'  four  or 
five  per  cent  interest  along  with  the  rest  o'  their 
fortune,"  as  he  argued. 

But  for  once  Job  Dowling  had  overreached  him- 
self. Instead  of  selling  the  heirlooms  they  were 
stolen  from  him,  and  this  getting  to  Ben's  ears, 
ward  and  guardian  had  a  warm,  wordy  quarrel, 
in  which  Job  Dowling  came  out  second  best.  So 
afraid  of  being  prosecuted  was  the  old  man  that 
he  consented  without  a  murmur  to  Ben's  enlisting 
in  the  army  and,  later  on,  he  also  allowed  Walter 
to  join  the  navy.  The  recovery  of  the  heirlooms 
by  a  professional  detective  was  a  long  and  ex- 
pensive   task,   and    when    he    received    them    Job 


THE   SAILING   OF   THE  TRANSPORT  7 

Dowling  was  a  wiser  if  not  a  sadder  man.  "I 
reckon  as  how  I  don't  know  it  all,"  he  murmured 
to  himself.  "  Perhaps  I  had  better  let  them  boys 
take  care  on  themselves  for  awhile."  And  this  he 
did,  with  excellent  results.  When  the  war  with 
Spain  was  over,  and  all  the  boys  came  home  on  a 
brief  visit,  it  was  found  that  the  guardian  had 
actually  turned  over  a  new  leaf,  and  the  reunion, 
about  which  each  had  been  so  doubtful,  turned 
out  to  be  a  most  happy  one. 

As  Walter  was  home  only  on  shore  leave  it  was 
not  long  before  he  had  to  return  to  his  ship. 
The  time  of  Larry  and  Ben,  however,  was  now 
their  own,  and  they  remained  around  Buffalo  for 
several  months,  Larry  spending  most  of  the  days 
on  Lake  Erie,  a  sheet  of  water  with  which  he 
was  thoroughly  familiar.  In  the  meantime  each 
watched  the  newspapers  eagerly  for  news  from 
the  Philippines,  and  when  it  became  almost  cer- 
tain that  there  would  be  fighting  between  the 
United  States  troops  and  the  insurgents  under 
General  Aguinaldo,  Larry  immediately  announced 
his  intention  of  rejoining  Admiral  Dewey's  squad- 
ron, while  Ben  lost  no  time  in  reenlisting  as  pre- 
viously mentioned.     In  Ben's   company   were   Carl 


8  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

Stummer,  a  German,  and  Dan  Casey,  a  young  Irish- 
man, both  of  whom  had  served  with  the  young 
volunteer  in  Cuba.  Gilbert  Pennington  was  a 
young  Southerner  who  had  worked  with  Ben  in 
New  York,  and  who  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Span- 
ish-American War  had  joined  Roosevelt's  Rough 
Riders.  Their  adventures  together  in  Cuba  had 
made  them  almost  brothers. 

Many  of  the  transports  carrying  troops  to  the 
Philippines  had  sailed  by  way  of  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
but  the  one  to  carry  Ben  and  Larry  was  to  sail 
by  way  of  the  Atlantic,  Mediterranean  Sea,  Suez 
Canal,  Red  Sea,  and  the  Indian  Ocean,  so  the 
youths  had  quite  a  novel  trip  before  them.  It  was 
decided  that  Job  Dowling  should  come  to  New 
York  to  see  them  off,  and  Walter  sent  word  that 
he  would  also  try  to  get  another  leave  and  be  on 
hand  to  wish  them  luck. 

Two  days  before  the  departure  from  home  came 
news  which  was  as  dismaying  as  it  was  unex- 
pected. A  small  bank,  known  as  the  Hearthstone 
Savings  Institution,  had  failed,  and  the  cashier, 
Braxton  Bogg,  was  missing.  A  speedy  investiga- 
tion of  accounts  revealed  the  fact  that  the  bank's 
funds  were  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  TRANSPORT  9 

short,  and  what  had  become  of  the  money  and  the 
cashier  nobody  could  tell. 

Of  the  inheritance  coming  to  the  three  Russell 
boys  more  than  three-quarters  had  been  invested 
in  this  bank  by  Job  Dowling,  "  because  they  prom- 
ised sech  high  interest,"  as  he  explained.  All  the 
former  miser's  cash  had  been  put  in  the  same 
place,  so  that  he  was  left  almost  penniless  so  far 
as  ready  money  was  concerned,  and  was  compelled 
to  place  a  mortgage  on  his  house  in  order  to  make 
both  ends  meet.  This,  as  my  readers  can  well 
imagine,  nearly  broke  his  heart. 

"  We're  out  three-quarters  of  our  fortune,  that's 
sure,"  had  been  Ben's  sober  comment.  "  I  wish  I 
could  lay  hands  on  that  Braxton  Bogg.  I  know 
him,  and  I'd  make  him  square  up,  or  know  the 
reason  why."  Little  did  he  dream,  however,  under 
what  strange  conditions  he  and  the  absconding 
cashier  were  to  meet. 


CHAPTER  II 

GETTING  INTO  TROUBLE 

Ben  and  Larry  had  arrived  on  the  transport 
but  a  short  while  before  sailing,  so  the  big  ship 
was  a  stranger  to  them.  Yet,  eager  as  they  were 
to  inspect  the  various  quarters,  they  remained  on 
the  upper  deck  until  New  York  harbor  was  left 
behind  and  the  Statue  of  Liberty  became  a  mere 
speck  in  the  distance.  As  an  officer,  Ben  was 
allowed  to  move  about  in  many  places  which 
were  prohibited  to  the  ordinary  soldiers,  and 
he  took  his  brother  and  his  chum  Gilbert  with 
him. 

"I  reckon  it  will  be  some  time  before  we  see 
the  States  again,"  remarked  Gilbert.  "  Perhaps 
we'll  never  see  them  again  —  if  we  are  shot  down," 
he  added  reflectively. 

"  Oh,  don't  grow  too  serious,"  returned  Ben. 
"Remember,  we  came  out  of  the  Cuban  campaign 
without  severe  injury,  and  there  we  had  the  trained 

10 


GETTING  INTO  TROUBLE  11 

soldiers  of  Spain  to  fight  against.  In  the  Philippines 
the  half-civilized  natives — " 

"  Will  put  up  as  good  a  fight  as  any  of  the  Span- 
iards did,"  finished  the  young  Southerner.  "Don't 
deceive  yourself  into  believing  that  because  the 
Filipinos  are  not  Americans  or  Europeans  that 
they  don't  know  how  to  shoot." 

"To  be  sure  they  know  how  to  shoot  —  they 
have  proved  that  in  their  battles  with  the  Span- 
iards," said  Larry.  "  There  are  hot  times  ahead  — 
unless  we  grant  Aguinaldo  and  his  followers  their 
independence  —  but  no  matter  how  hot  the  times, 
I'm  certain  we'll  come  out  on  top." 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  can  grant  the  Filipinos  their 
independence  just  now,  Larry,"  answered  his 
brother.  "They  have  no  actual  form  of  govern- 
ment, since  Spain  has  stepped  down  and  out,  and 
it  would  be  foolish  to  let  General  Aguinaldo  set 
up  a  dictatorship.  The  only  thing  to  do  is  to 
let  them  come  under  the  protection  of  our  country 
and  then  give  them  their  liberty  when  they  are 
educated  up  to  the  point  of  caring  for  themselves." 

"  But  the  Filipinos  are  educated ;  that  is,  those 
who  live  in  such  cities  as  Manila  and  Ilo  Ilo  are. 
I    know    that    from    what    I    heard    aboard    the 


12  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

Olympia  and  in  Hong  Kong.  Some  of  the  officers 
said  they  thought  the  Filipinos  were  more  capable 
of  governing  themselves  than  the  Cubans  are." 

"  Well,  it  may  be  true  —  I  have  never  met  any 
of  them.  But  I  don't  believe  in  letting  Aguinaldo 
have  his  own  way." 

"  Oh,  no !  neither  do  I,  for  I  am  sure  he  will 
ride  right  over  the  ignorant  people  of  the  inte- 
rior of  Luzon,  and  of  the  smaller  islands.  We 
have  got  to  take  hold  somehow,  but  just  how 
must  be  settled  by  a  wiser  head  than  mine,"  and 
Larry  smiled  broadly.  Then  he  added  slyly  :  "  I'm 
no  politician,  I'm  only  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  jack  tars." 

"  And  I  am  only  one  of  his  soldier  boys,"  added 
Ben.  "  We  had  better  leave  these  big  questions 
of  statesmanship  alone  and  do  our  duty  as  we  find 
it.  Phew !  but  I'm  getting  cold  !  "  and  the  young 
lieutenant  gave  a  shiver  as  a  strong  blast  of  wind 
sent  his  cape  coat  flying  about  his  ears.  "Per- 
haps we  had  better  go  below." 

"  Come  on  by  all  means,"  came  from  Gilbert. 
"  This  November  air  cuts  my  Southern  skin  like 
a  razor.  I'm  glad  we  are  bound  for  the  tropics. 
I  can  stand  the  heat  a  good  deal  better  than  the 
cold." 


GETTING  INTO  TROUBLE  13 

"Perhaps  you  won't  think  so  when  you  strike 
Manila  Bay,"  was  Larry's  comment.  "You  may 
have  had  it  hot  in  Cuba,  but  just  wait  until  you  see 
what  we'll  treat  you  to  out  there.  Why,  one 
day  the  thermometer  got  so  high  it  broke  the  top 
of  the  gla— " 

"  Stow  it,  Larry ;  none  of  your  sailors'  yarns  so 
early  on  the  trip,"  interrupted  his  brother.  "Come 
on  and  see  if  our  extra  baggage  is  safe,"  and  he 
followed  Gilbert  to  the  lower,  or  berth,  deck. 

The  transport  had  once  belonged  to  one  of  the 
Atlantic  lines  of  coastwise  steamers.  She  was 
of  seven  thousand  tons'  burden  and  her  general 
fittings  were  first  class  in  every  particular.  But 
below  the  upper  deck  what  had  once  been  a  luxu- 
rious cabin  and  after  cabin  had  been  completely 
torn  away  and  in  their  places  were  long  lines  of 
iron  rods, — "gaspipes,"  the  soldiers  termed  them, 
—  to  which  were  attached  beds  made  of  oblong  bits 
of  canvas  hauled  taut  at  the  top  and  bottom  and 
sides.  The  rods  ran  from  floor  to  ceiling,  and  the 
beds  were  placed  one  above  another,  three  and  four 
high,  and  in  long  rows  with  narrow  gangways 
between.  At  one  end  was  an  open  space,  where 
the  troops  occupying  these  quarters  could  lounge 


14  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

around  and  take  their  meals.  Tables  there  were 
none,  the  space  being  too  limited  to  admit  of 
them. 

"  We  haven't  the  finest  quarters  in  the  world," 
remarked  Gilbert,  as  he  sought  out  a  quiet  corner 
and  sat  down.  "  But  we  are  better  off  than  that 
battery  in  the  steerage."  He  turned  to  Larry. 
"  Where  are  you  to  bunk  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  yet.  With  the  rest  of  the  men 
for  the  navy,  I  presume.  I  understand  that  there 
are  about  forty  jackies  on  board,  along  with  a 
certain  Quartermaster  Yarrow,  who  is  to  take  us 
in  charge.  Here  is  our  baggage,  Ben,  so  we  are 
safe  on  that  score." 

"And  here  is  my  bunk,"  replied  Ben,  as  he 
pointed  to  one  at  the  head  of  a  row.  "  I  am 
sorry  you  cannot  remain  with  me,  Larry.  As 
there  is  nothing  else  to  do,  let  us  find  out  where 
you  are  to  be  placed.  If  you  have  to  go  into  the 
steerage  —  " 

Ben  broke  off  short,  as  a  burly  naval  officer 
loomed  up  behind  him  and  his  brother.  The 
next  instant  the  newcomer  had  Larry  by  the  shoul- 
der and  was  shoving  him  roughly  toward  the 
cabin  stairs. 


GETTING  INTO  TKOUBLB  15 

"You  get  to  your  quarters,  and  be  quick  about 
it,"  came  in  harsh  tones.  "If  I  catch  you  down 
here  again,  I'll  put  you  in  the  brig." 

"  What  do  you  mean  — "  began  Larry,  indig- 
nantly, and  then,  as  he  saw  that  the  newcomer  was 
a  quartermaster  in  the  navy,  he  broke  off  short. 
"  Is  this  Quartermaster   Yarrow  ?  "    he  questioned. 

"  Yes,  I'm  the  quartermaster,  and  I  want  you  to 
get  out  of  here  and  stay  in  your  own  quarters. 
The  soldiers  won't  want  you  nosing  around  here." 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  brought  my  brother  down 
here,"  put  in  Ben,  and  saluted,  at  which  the  burly 
one  did  the  same,  but  with  very  bad  grace.  "We 
just  came  aboard,  and  he  doesn't  know  where  he 
belongs." 

"I'll  show  him  mighty  quick,  then,  lieutenant. 
These  jackies  I  have  here  are  worse  than  a  lot  of 
bulls  in  a  ten-acre  lot  —  running  everywhere.  They 
think  that  on  a  transport  they  can  do  as  they  please. 
But  they  can't  —  and  I'll  soon  prove  it  to  'em !  " 
And  Quartermaster  Yarrow  pursed  up  his  lips 
tightly.  He  was  one  of  that  class  of  seafaring 
men  who   believe   in  bullying   upon   all   occasions. 

Larry  listened  to  the  words,  and  his  face  flushed 
hotly.     On  board  the  Olympia  he  had  been  treated 


16  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

with  uniform  fairness,  and  the  present  experience 
was,  consequently,  new  to  him. 

"  I'm  sure  I  haven't  been  doing  any  harm  down 
here,  quartermaster,"  he  said,  as  calmly  as  he  could. 

"  We  wanted  him,"  put  in  Gilbert.  "  He's  more 
than  welcome  to  stay." 

"  Never  mind  if  he  is  welcome,"  was  the  surly 
response.  "He  goes  to  his  quarters,  and  at  once." 
And  the  overbearing  petty  officer  gave  Larry  an- 
other shove  in  the  direction  of  the  stairs. 

Before  he  had  stopped  to  think  twice,  Ben  had 
caught  Yarrow  by  the  arm.  "  See  here,  you  treat 
my  brother  decently  !  "  he  ejaculated.  "  Don't 
think  because  you  are  in  temporary  command  that 
you  must  play  the  part  of  a  brute." 

"  What !  do  you  dare  to  interfere  with  me  ? " 
burst  from  the  naval  quartermaster.  "  Why,  I'll 
—  I'll  —  " 

"I'm  not  interfering  with  you,  sir.  I  simply 
ask  you  to  treat  my  brother  fairly.  It  is  my  fault, 
not  his,  that  he  is  down  here." 

"And  my  fault,  too,"  added  Gilbert.  "If  you 
think  there  has  been  any  wrong  done,  quartermas- 
ter, you  had  better  report  us  to  our  colonel." 

The    latter   was    said    so    dryly    that   the   petty 


GETTING  INTO  TROUBLE  17 

naval  officer  felt  certain  that  Gilbert  was  poking 
fun  at  him,  and  his  face  grew  more  sour  than  ever. 
"  Get  along  with  you !  "  he  cried  to  Larry,  and 
followed  the  youth  to  the  stairs.  "  I'll  get  even 
with  you  some  other  time ! "  he  continued,  glan- 
cing back  at  Ben  and  Gilbert. 

The  incident  had  been  watched  by  fully  a  score 
of  soldiers  standing  around.  "  Sure  an'  he  has 
the  swelled  head,  so  he  has ! "  murmured  Dan 
Casey.  "  Take  that  fer  luck !  "  And  without  be- 
ing noticed  by  any  one  he  threw  the  remainder  of 
a  half-sucked  orange  at  the  retreating  form. 

The  bit  of  fruit  caught  the  quartermaster  in  the 
back  of  the  neck;  and  as  he  leaned  forward  in 
mounting  the  steps,  it  slipped  several  inches  below 
the  collar  line,  inside.  Clapping  his  hand  to  the 
spot,  he  dug  at  the  fruit,  and  at  last  succeeded  in 
drawing  it  forth,  but  not  before  what  juice  it  had 
contained  had  been  squeezed  out  of  it. 

"  How's  that  fer  a  shot,  b'ys  ? "  called  Casey. 
And  then  he  suddenly  stopped  short,  and  lost  no 
time  in  shifting  his  position  in  the  crowd. 

"  Who  threw  that  at  me  ?  "  demanded  the  naval 
officer,  in  a  rage.  "  Did  you  do  it  ?  "  he  continued, 
striding  up  to  Ben. 


18  UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"I  did  not." 

"Then  it  was  you,"  went  on  Yarrow,  turning 
to  Gilbert. 

"No."  And  Gilbert  shook  his  head  slowly,  but 
with  a  smile  on  his  round  face  which  irritated  the 
petty  officer  more  than  ever. 

"I  say  it  was  you!"  howled  Yarrow.  "You 
needn't  tell  falsehoods  just  because  you  are  too 
cowardly  to  own  up." 

Scarcely  had  the  words  left  his  lips  when  Gil- 
bert leaped  to  his  feet,  his  hot  Southern  blood 
boiling  within  him.  "  You'll  take  that  back  !  "  he 
cried,  in  a  suppressed  voice.  "I'm  not  to  be  in- 
sulted by  the  like  of  such  a  bully  as  you." 

"  I'll  take  nothing  back.  You  threw  that,  and 
you  are  too  much  of  a  sneak  to  own  up.  If 
you  —  oh  !  " 

Quartermaster  Yarrow's  tirade  came  to  a  sudden 
termination  as  Gilbert  leaped  upon  him.  There 
was  one  swift,  telling  blow,  and  the  petty  naval 
officer  measured  his  length  at  the  foot  of  the  cabin 
stairs. 

"  Good  for  Sergeant  Pennington !  "  came  from 
one  of  the  soldiers  standing  by. 

"  Give    him     another    wan,    sergeant,"    put    in 


GETTING   INTO   TROUBLE  19 

Dan  Casey.  "He  needs  to  be  taken  down  a 
peg." 

"Dot  fellow  vos  too  fresh  alretty,"  spoke  up 
Carl  Stummer.  "Maype  ve  drow  him  oferpoard 
in  der  salt  vater,  hey?  Dot's  der  vay  to  cure 
him." 

At  this  last  sally  a  laugh  went  up,  in  the  midst 
of  which  Quartermaster  Yarrow  arose,  his  face  as 
red  as  a  beet.  He  started  to  rush  at  Gilbert,  but 
Ben  and  several  others  stepped  in  between. 

"  There  must  be  no  fighting  here  !  "  It  was  the 
voice  of  Captain  Larchmore,  of  Ben's  company. 
The  captain  had  just  come  up  from  the  opposite 
end  of  the  birth  deck.  "  The  first  man  to  strike 
a  blow  goes  to  the  lock-up." 

"  He  knocked  me  down,"  fumed  Yarrow. 

"And  he  insulted  me,"  put  in  Gilbert.  "I'll 
not  take  an  insult  from  anybody." 

"He  has  no  right  here,  has  he,  captain?"  came 
from  one  of  the  soldiers.  "I  thought  this  deck 
was  for  our  boys  only." 

"  I  came  down  for  one  of  my  jackies,"  growled 
Quartermaster  Yarrow.  "There  he  is  at  the  top 
of  the  stairs,"  pointing  to  Larry.  He  looked  at 
Captain   Larchmore  and  then  at  the  angry  crowd 


20  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

around  him.  "You  soldiers  think  you  are  going 
to  run  the  whole  boat,  but  you  are  not.  Just  wait 
until  I've  seen  to  my  men,  and  then  you'll  hear 
from  me  again."  And  with  a  savage  shake  of  his 
hand  at  Gilbert  and  Ben  he  ran  up  the  cabin  stairs, 
pushing  Larry  before  him,  and  disappeared. 


CHAPTER   III 

AN"  UNREASONABLE   QUARTERMASTER 

"I'm  afraid  we've  made  a  mess  of  it,"  remarked 
Ben,  when  the  excitement  was  over  and  the  pass- 
ing of  a  large  ocean  steamer  had  drawn  most  of 
the  soldiers  away  from  the  scene  of  the  encounter. 

"  I  reckon  I've  made  a  mess  of  it,"  returned 
Gilbert,  gloomily.  "  But  I  couldn't  stand  an  insult 
from  such  a  bully,  especially  after  he  had  acted  so 
unfairly  toward  your  brother.  I  wonder  what  he'll 
do  —  report  me  ?  " 

"  It's  more  than  likely,  Gilbert ;  and  if  he  does, 
I'm  afraid  you'll  be  good  for  two  or  three  days  in 
the  brig —  or  else  lose  half  a  month's  pay." 

"  Well,  if  he  makes  a  charge,  I'll  make  a  counter- 
charge—  that's  certain.  I  hope  what  passed  here 
won't  affect  your  brother.  It's  a  pity  he's  got  to 
obey  the  orders  of  such  a  brute." 

"Larry  won't  stand  much  —  he's  too  quick  tem- 
pered,"   returned    Ben.     "  But    I    must   attend    to 

21 


22  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

duty  now,"  he  concluded,  as  lie  noticed  Captain 
Larchmore  beckoning  to  him ;  and  the  two  friends 
separated. 

In  the  meantime  Larry  had  reached  his  place 
among  the  other  jackies  on  the  transport.  He 
found  them  a  whole-souled,  jolly  crowd,  quite  in 
contrast  to  the  petty  officer  who  commanded  them. 
Before,  however,  he  could  introduce  himself,  Quar- 
termaster Yarrow  called  him  to  one  side  and 
checked  off  his  name  in  a  book  he  carried  for 
that  purpose. 

"  That  second  lieutenant  of  Company  D  was  your 
brother  ?  "  he  asked. 
"Yes,  sir." 

"  Who  was  the  other  fellow  ?  " 
"  Sergeant  Pennington,  of  Company  B." 
"He  shall  suffer  for  the  way  he  has  treated  me." 
At   this   Larry  was   going   to  make   some   hasty 
reply  regarding  the  quartermaster's  position  in  the 
unfortunate  affair,  but  checked  himself. 

"  His  assault  upon  me  was  entirely  uncalled  for," 
went  on  the  petty  officer. 

"  Perhaps  he  didn't  like  the  manner  in  which  you 
spoke  to  him,"  suggested  the  young  tar,  meekly. 
For  the  sake  of  his  brother's  chum  he  was  resolved 


AN  UNSEASONABLE  QUARTERMASTER     23 

to  smooth  matters  over  if  such  a  thing  could  be 
accomplished. 

"  He  threw  that  half -rotten  orange  at  me." 

"Excuse  me,  quartermaster,  but  I  think  you  are 
mistaken.  I  saw  the  piece  of  fruit  come  sailing 
over  his  shoulder." 

"Of  course  you'll  stick  up  for  him,  Russell, — 
it's  natural  you  should.  But  I  know  he  threw  it. 
I  shall  make  it  warm  for  him.  As  for  yourself, 
get  to  your  place  over  in  that  corner  yonder  and 
don't  let  me  hear  of  your  leaving  it  for  the  rest 
of  the  day,"  and  with  this  command,  Quarter- 
master Yarrow  stalked  off,  in  as  bad  a  humor  as 
ever. 

"  Oh,  he's  a  piece  of  work,"  was  the  comment  of 
one  of  the  old  tars,  Jack  Biddle  by  name,  after 
Larry  had  related  the  particulars  of  what  had 
occurred.  "And  the  worst  of  it  is  that  he's  no 
fighter  at  all  —  never  was  in  a  battle  to  my 
knowledge." 

"  Doesn't  he  belong  to  Dewey's  squadron  ?  "  asked 
the  youth,  in  astonishment. 

"  He  does  now  —  to  one  of  the  new  war-vessels  — 
one  of  the  craft  we  took  from  Spain.  But  he  used  to 
serve  on  one  of  the  Pacific  coast  vessels,  and  then  he 


24  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

came  over  to  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard.  He's  half 
landlubber,  he  is !  "  And  Jack  Biddle  tossed  up 
his  wrinkled  and  sunburned  face  in  disgust.  Biddle 
himself  had  seen  service  in  the  navy  for  twenty  odd 
years  and  had  been  aboard  the  Texas  during  the 
memorable  fight  with  Cervera's  fleet  off  Santiago 
Bay. 

"  I  don't  want  a  row  with  anybody,"  went  on 
Larry;  "  I  guess  we'll  get  fighting  enough  when  we 
reach  Manila." 

"  No  such  fighting  as  we  had  at  Santiago,  lad,  or 
as  Dewey  had  against  Montojo.  The  insurgents 
haven't  the  ships." 

"That  may  be  true.  But  what  if  some  foreign 
power  steps  in  to  help  the  rebels  ?  " 

"  They  won't  dare  —  not  after  seeing  how  we 
treated  Spain.  But  I  suppose  we'll  have  lots  of 
work  along  shore,  shelling  some  towns  and  the 
like,"  concluded  Jack  Biddle. 

As  it  was  a  raw  day,  it  was  no  hardship  for  Larry 
to  stay  below,  and  he  spent  the  remainder  of  the 
afternoon  in  stowing  away  his  baggage  and  in  be- 
coming better  acquainted  with  those  who  were  to  be 
his  companions  on  the  long  voyage  to  the  China 
Sea.     Of  the  crowd,  six  were  bound  for  the  Olympic 


AN  UNREASONABLE  QUARTERMASTER     25 

and  as  soon  as  these  found  he  had  served  on  that 
cruiser,  they  lost  no  time  in  plying  him  with  ques- 
tions regarding  the  vessel  and  what  they  might 
expect  on  going  aboard. 

"I  missed  the  Santiago  fight,"  said  one,  in  deep 
disgust.  "  I  was  on  the  New  York,  Rear-Admiral 
Sampson's  flagship,  and  the  day  Cervera  came  out 
to  fight,  our  vessel  sailed  up  the  coast  so  that  the 
admiral  might  confer  with  General  Shafter  of  the 
army.  I'd  a  give  three  months'  pay  to  have  been  in 
the  mix-up."     And  the  tar  sighed  deeply. 

"Yes,  it  was  too  bad  the  New  York  was  not  on 
the  scene  after  Sampson  had  done  so  much  to  make 
the  blockading  of  Cervera  successful,"  answered 
Larry.  "  But  such  are  the  fortunes  of  war.  I  hope 
if  we  have  a  fight  in  the  Philippines,  you  get  in  it," 
he  added  with  a  smile. 

Quartermaster  Yarrow  had  gone  on  deck,  and  he 
did  not  reappear  until  the  last  mess  for  the  day  had 
been  served  out  and  the  transport  was  rolling 
heavily  in  the  swells  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  many 
miles  eastward  from  Sandy  Hook.  The  youth  won- 
dered if  a  charge  had  been  made  against  Gilbert, 
but  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  ask  any  questions. 

The  supper  was  a  good  one,  for  the  transport  had 


26  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

taken  on  a  large  stock  of  fresh  meats  and  vegetables 
at  Brooklyn.  "You  want  to  eat  all  yon  can,"  was 
Jack  Biddle's  comment.  "It  won't  be  long  before 
they  begin  to  serve  us  salt  horse." 

"  I  wonder  if  we'll  not  make  some  stops  along  the 
route  ?  "  said  Larry.  "  They  could  stop  at  a  number 
of  places  along  the  Mediterranean  or  Red  Sea  if 
they  wanted  to." 

"You  mean  if  the  foreign  powers  would  let  us 
stop,"  put  in  Mark  Olney,  a  Jackie  of  Larry's  age. 
"  Some  of  them  are  mighty  jealous  of  letting  some 
other  power  land  on  their  territory." 

"  Spain  won't  let  us  land,  you  can  rest  assured  of 
that,"  replied  Larry.  "  She  would  rather  sink  the 
transport  in  the  middle  of  the  Mediterranean." 

As  all  hands  were  seated  on  either  ditty  boxes  or 
the  deck,  the  meal  had  very  much  the  appearance  of 
a  party  at  a  picnic,  and  it  was  no  easy  matter  to 
dispose  of  the  food  without  spilling  a  portion.  Yet, 
in  spite  of  the  inconvenience,  the  best  of  good 
spirits  prevailed. 

"  Here  comes  the  quartermaster  now,"  whispered 
Mark  Olney,  presently.  "  Hello,  what's  the  matter 
with  him  ?  " 

"What's  the  matter  with  him?"  burst  out  Jack 


AN  UNREASONABLE  QUARTERMASTER     27 

Biddle.  "  He's  seasick,  that's  what's  the  matter. 
Told  you  he  was  a  landlubber,"  he  added,  with 
increased  disgust. 

The  old  sailor  was  right.  Quartermaster  Yarrow 
was  feeling  the  effects  of  the  ship's  rollings.  He 
was  deadly  pale,  and  his  face  twitched  constantly 
in  a  most  suspicious  manner.  Suddenly  he  clapped 
his  handkerchief  to  his  mouth  and  ran  with  all 
speed  for  the  upper  deck. 

"  He  has  gone  to  feed  the  fishes !  "  cried  Mark 
Olney.  "  I  can't  understand  what  they  wanted  to 
put  him  in  charge  of  this  crowd  for."  The  quarter- 
master did  not  reappear  until  most  of  the  sailors  had 
retired  for  the  night,  and  then  he  crept  into  his 
private  apartment  much  crestfallen  and  without  a 
word  to  any  one. 

The  transport  had  left  the  United  States  on  the 
Saturday  following  Thanksgiving  Day,  and  it  was 
expected  that  with  a  fairly  prosperous  voyage  Ma- 
nila Bay  would  be  reached  late  in  January  or  by  the 
first  week  in  February,  making  a  trip  of  two  months 
or  thereabouts,  —  a  long  time  to  those  who  were 
impatient  to  get  to  the  scene  of  active  operations. 
All  told,  the  ship  carried  1645  souls,  the  major- 
ity of  whom  belonged  to  the  regiment  of  soldiers 


28  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

and  the  artillery  already  mentioned.  There  were 
likewise  a  signal  corps,  a  hospital  corps,  and  over 
a  score  of  women,  —  officers'  wives  and  Red  Cross 
nurses. 

If  the  quartermaster  was  sick,  the  tossing  and 
pitching  of  the  transport  did  not  disturb  Larry,  and 
after  a  sound  sleep  he  arose  at  five  o'clock,  made  his 
toilet,  and  proceeded  to  the  upper  deck.  He  had 
scarcely  appeared  when  Ben  joined  him. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  up,"  was  the  elder 
brother's  greeting.  "  How  did  you  make  out  after 
we  parted?  " 

Larry  told  him.  "The  quartermaster  is  still  out 
of  sight,"  he  continued.  "  I  don't  know  what  he 
will  say  when  he  appears.  Did  he  make  a  charge 
against  Gilbert  ?  " 

"  No.  He  started  to,  but  the  whole  thing  fell  to 
pieces.  He  declared  up  and  down  that  Gilbert  had 
hit  him  with  the  orange  and  the  colonel  was  going 
to  put  the  sergeant  under  arrest,  when  Dan  Casey 
spoke  up  and  said  he  was  the  guilty  one.  Then 
Yarrow  got  mad,  and  finally  the  colonel  said  he  had 
better  drop  the  matter,  and  the  bully  went  off  as 
mad  as  a  hornet  —  " 

"  And    got    seasick,"   finished    Larry,    laughing. 


AN  UNREASONABLE  QUARTERMASTER  29 

"It  served  him  right.  I  hope  the  lesson  does 
him  good." 

"  The  trouble  is,  some  men  never  learn  a  lesson, 
Larry.  See  how  hard  it  was  for  us  to  get  Uncle 
Job  to  do  what  was  fair  and  square." 

"  But  he  came  around  all  right  at  last,  Ben,  — 
that  is,  in  a  general  way.  I  don't  think  he  had 
any  right  to  put  more  than  half  of  our  money  in 
that  bursted  Hearthstone  Savings  Institution.  He 
was  too  greedy  for  interest." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  still  he  wanted  the  interest 
for  us,  not  for  himself.  We  must  give  him  credit 
for  that.  As  miserly  as  he  has  been,  I  would 
rather  trust  Uncle  Job  than  such  a  bully  as 
Quartermaster  Yarrow." 

"  Oh,  so  would  I.  But,  Ben,  if  Uncle  Job  isn't 
careful,  he  will  lose  every  cent  of  what  is  coming 
to  us." 

"  I  gave  him  a  good  talking  to  before  we 
parted,  and  I  guess  he  will  be  careful  enough 
after  this.  I  only  hope  the  authorities  catch  that 
missing  cashier  and  get  back  what  he  has  taken." 

"More  than  likely  the  money  has  been  squandered 
in  speculation.  If  that  is  so,  arresting  him  won't 
do  us  or  any  of  the  depositors   much  good.     But 


30  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

I  had  better  be  getting  to  my  quarters  again,  or 
Quartermaster  Yarrow  will  be  up  in  arms  as  lie 
was  before,"  and  Larry  walked  away,  leaving  Ben 
to  rejoin  the  soldiers  of  his  company. 

The  conversation  had  taken  place  close  to  the 
upper  cabin,  where  a  slight  turn  hid  the  rest  of 
the  deck  from  view.  As  Larry  and  Ben  dis- 
appeared there  was  a  stir  in  a  near-by  corner,  and 
Quartermaster  Yarrow  arose  from  a  reclining  chair 
in  which  he  had  been  trying  to  take  it  easy,  after 
finding  it  unbearable  in  his  apartment  below,  be- 
cause of  a  dizziness  in  the  head. 

"  Calls  me  a  bully,  eh  ?  "  he  muttered.  "  Wouldn't 
trust  me  ?  "  He  pulled  savagely  at  his  sandy  mus- 
tache. "  All  right,  my  lad,  I'll  remember  you,  and 
you'll  have  good  cause  to  remember  me,  too,  be- 
fore we  get  to  Manila  !  I  never  yet  had  any  use 
for  fellows  in  the  navy  who  had  money  coming 
to  them.  They  are  always  too  high-strung  for 
their  own  good.  A  taking  down  is  just  what 
they  need,  —  and  this  one  will  get  it  sure  1 " 


CHAPTER  IV 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  FALL  OP  MANILA 

Nearly  seven  months  had  elapsed  since  Com- 
modore  Dewey  had  sailed  into  Manila  Bay  with 
his  warships  and  utterly  destroyed  the  Spanish 
fleet  lying  off  Cavite.  During  that  time  our  army 
and  navy  had  been  equally  victorious  in  and 
around  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  and  the  war  with 
Spain  had  been  brought  to  a  speedy  termination. 

Affairs  in  the  Philippines  had  been,  and  still 
were,  in  a  most  unsettled  state,  and  when  Larry 
and  Ben  rejoined  the  twin  branches  of  Uncle 
Sam's  service  it  looked  as  if  a  long  and  bitter  con- 
test with  the  insurgents  in  the  island  of  Luzon, 
the  largest  of  the  Philippines,  was  inevitable. 
That  the  outlook  did  not  belie  itself,  coming 
events  speedily  proved. 

Commodore  Dewey  had  had  an  ample  supply  of 
warships  with  which  to  meet  and  defeat  Admiral 
Montojo,   and    thus    place    the    important   city  of 

81 


32  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Manila,  the  Philippine  capital,  at  his  mercy.  But 
with  a  force  of  less  than  seventeen  hundred  men 
it  was  absurd  to  think  of  taking  the  city  and 
holding  it,  much  less  to  think  of  holding  the 
islands  in  general.  This  could  only  be  accom- 
plished by  having  the  army  cooperate  with  the 
navy,  and  it  was  estimated  that  between  twenty 
thousand  and  thirty  thousand  men  would  be  needed 
for  the  service. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  hardly  a  thought 
had  been  given  to  Spain's  Eastern  possessions, 
and  no  one  had  dreamed  that  our  soldiers  would 
be  needed  for  such  distant  service,  consequently 
to  organize  a  Philippine  army  of  invasion  was  no 
light  task.  Yet  the  various  states  of  our  Union, 
especially  those  of  the  West,  responded  nobly, 
and  on  the  25th  of  May,  1898,  the  first  expedition, 
under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Thomas 
M.  Anderson,  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  carrying 
nearly  three  regiments  of  infantry  and  a  detach- 
ment of  artillery.  A  second  expedition  soon  fol- 
lowed, commanded  by  Brigadier-General  F.  V. 
Greene,  —  Ben's  old  commander  of  the  71st,  —  and 
then  came  several  other  expeditions,  including  one 
carrying   Major-General  Wesley  Merritt,  who  had 


SOMETHING  ABOUT   THE  FALL   OF   MANILA      33 

been  put  in  command  of  this  Department  of  the 
Pacific,  as  it  was  termed.  This  expedition  also 
carried  the  Astor  Battery,  a  New  York  volunteer 
organization,  equipped  by  the  millionnaire  whose 
name  it  bore. 

On  arriving  off  Manila  the  army  of  invasion 
found  all  quiet,  but  in  a  state  of  suppressed  ex- 
citement. Admiral  Dewey's  ships  rode  the  har- 
bor unmolested,  the  Spanish  officials  not  daring 
to  attack  him  for  fear  he  would  shell  the  city 
and  destroy  it.  The  enemy  had  abandoned  the 
fort  and  other  buildings  at  Cavite,  eight  miles 
below  the  city,  and  these  were  in  possession  of 
the  American  marines.  Lying  in  a  semicircle  on 
the  land  side  of  Manila  lay  the  army  of  the  Fili- 
pino rebels,  a  straggling,  disorganized  body  of  men, 
numbering  from  ten  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand, 
who  had  been  waging  a  sort  of  guerilla  warfare 
against  their  Spanish  masters  for  several  years. 
The  majority  were  armed  with  old-fashioned  rifles, 
but  there  were  others  from  the  interior  called 
Igorrotes  who  carried  nothing  but  spears  and 
war-clubs.  These  latter  natives  were  very  ignorant, 
and  willing  to  do  anything  that  their  educated 
and  wily  leaders  wanted  of  them. 


34  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

The  situation  at  this  time  was  a  particularly 
delicate  one.  At  first  the  insurgent  leaders  had 
professed  their  willingness  to  help  the  Americans 
all  in  their  power  to  conquer  the  Spaniards  and 
drive  them  out  of  Manila.  But  as  the  days 
went  by  and  it  became  evident  that  the  United 
States  intended  to  obtain  control  of  the  islands, 
they  began  to  protest,  and  finally  set  up  a  gov- 
ernment of  their  own,  the  Philippine  Republic, 
with  General  Aguinaldo  as  their  president,  and 
with  headquarters  at  Bacoor.  In  the  forming  of 
this  republic  it  is  doubtful  if  the  natives  at  large 
had  much  to  say  in  the  matter,  the  leaders  con- 
ducting affairs  to  suit  themselves. 

On  the  first  day  of  August,  General  Merritt 
found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  Manila,  with  an 
army  numbering  nearly  eleven  thousand  men. 
Some  had  landed  at  Cavite  and  other  places  in 
the  vicinity,  and  soon  all  were  in  a  position  to 
threaten  Manila  on  the  south  and  east,  having,  by 
diplomacy,  induced  the  insurgents  to  move  north- 
ward. This  movement  brought  on  a  small  fight 
with  the  Spaniards  stationed  in  the  trenches  out- 
side of  the  city,  but  although  a  great  many  shots 
were  fired,  little  damage  was  done. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE  FALL   OF   MANILA       35 

All  was  now  ready  for  a  general  attack  by  our 
army  and  navy,  and  on  August  9,  General  Merritt 
and  Admiral  Dewey  united  in  a  demand  for  the 
surrender  of  Manila  and  of  all  the  Spanish  troops 
stationed  there.  To  this  the  governor-general 
demurred,  asking  for  permission  to  consult  his 
home  government  first.  This  was  refused,  and 
four  days  later,  early  in  the  morning,  an  attack 
was  begun  on  the  Spanish  intrenchments,  by  the 
warships  in  the  harbor,  and  this  was  followed  up 
by  the  land  forces  with  such  vigor  that  in  a  few 
hours  the  enemy  began  to  fly  flags  of  truce. 
The  firing  then  ceased,  and  before  night  the  city 
was  turned  over  to  General  Merritt,  and  the 
American  flag  was  hoisted  to  replace  the  fallen 
banner  of  Castile. 

The  insurgents  had  taken  but  small  interest  in 
the  battle,  but  now  that  it  was  over  they  were 
fairly  wild  to  get  into  the  city,  the  more  ignorant 
of  them  believing  that  all  would  be  turned  over 
to  them  for  looting  and  plunder.  But  such  an 
emergency  had  already  been  provided  for,  and  the 
American  troops  were  at  once  stationed  in  the 
trenches  formerly  occupied  by  the  Spaniards,  to 
keep  the   would-be   invaders   out,   while   a   patrol 


36  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

was  established  throughout  every  district  of  Ma- 
nila to  prevent  a  local  uprising  of  rebel  sympa- 
thizers. 

The  action  of  the  Americans  angered  the  insur- 
gents greatly,  and  as  soon  as  peace  was  assured 
between  Spain  and  the  United  States,  they  sent 
representatives  to  Washington,  asking  that  the 
Philippine  Republic  be  recognized,  and  that  our 
army  be  withdrawn  from  the  islands.  They  would 
undoubtedly  have  attacked  our  forces  without 
delay,  but  saw  that  they  were  not  properly  equipped 
to  do  so.  Our  government  was  not  willing  to 
relinquish  the  territory  taken  from  Spain,  and  the 
most  that  could  be  done  for  the  Filipinos  was  to 
promise  them  liberal  civil  rights  if  they  would 
submit  to  our  authority  —  in  plain  words,  to  let 
them  run  matters  to  suit  themselves,  under  the 
guiding  hand  of  Uncle  Sam. 

But  this  did  not  satisfy  General  Aguinaldo,  who, 
instead  of  being  a  president,  was  really  a  dictator. 
He  pleaded  that  his  countrymen  should  be  free 
and  independent,  that  they  wanted  nothing  more 
and  would  accept  nothing  less  ;  and  at  the  same 
time  he  sent  his  aides  in  secret  all  over  the  island 
of  Luzon,  and  elsewhere,  to  gather  recruits  for  his 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  FALL  OF   MANILA       37 

army,  which  now  encircled  Manila  from  the  water's 
edge  on  the  north,  eastward  and  southward  to 
where  the  Americans  still  held  the  ground  at 
Cavite. 

This  was  the  situation  when  Ben  reenlisted  and 
Larry  determined  to  rejoin  Dewey's  squadron. 
In  the  meantime  the  naval  and  army  authorities 
were  not  idle,  and  several  additional  warships  and 
a  number  of  transports  filled  with  infantry  and 
artillery  were  hurried  to  Manila  Bay.  Under  no 
pretext  whatever  was  Uncle  Sam  to  be  caught 
napping.  The  Filipinos  must  be  made  to  recog- 
nize United  States  authority,  and  if  they  insisted 
upon  fighting  they  were  to  be  given  their  fill  of 
it.  Once  law  and  order  was  restored,  all  possible 
benefits  of  civilization  were  to  be  extended  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  archipelago.  That  they  needed 
the  experienced  hand  of  some  advanced  govern- 
ment in  settling  their  internal  affairs  there  could 
be  no  doubt. 

When  Larry  returned  to  the  other  jackies  he 
found  Jack  Biddle  and  Mark  Olney  already  arrayed 
for  inspection.  "  We're  to  have  church  directly 
after  breakfast,"  said  Biddle.  "  The  soldiers  just 
passed  the  word  along." 


38  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"In  that  case  I  guess  I  had  better  fix  up,  too," 
replied  the  youth,  and  lost  no  time  in  doing  so, 
seeing  to  it  that  his  "  rig  "  was  without  a  flaw,  for 
he  knew  that  Quartermaster  Yarrow  would  inspect 
him  with  special  care. 

It  was  still  cold,  and  outside  the  wind  was 
blowing  half  a  gale.  "It's  lucky  we're  not  in  a 
sailing  craft,"  remarked  Olney.  "  With  such  a 
passenger  list  we'd  founder  sure." 

"  Uncle  Sam  can't  afford  to  take  us  to  Manila 
by  wind,"  answered  Larry.  "To  my  mind  the 
quicker  we  get  there,  the  better.  I'll  wager  those 
rebels  won't  keep  quiet  much  longer." 

Breakfast  was  soon  disposed  of,  and  then  soldiers 
and  sailors  were  lined  up  for  inspection,  some  on 
the  upper  deck  and  some  below.  Living  quarters 
were  also  inspected,  and  where  the  least  thing  was 
out  of  order  somebody  was  sure  to  hear  of  it,  to 
his  discomfort. 

When  Quartermaster  Yarrow  came  to  Larry  he 
eyed  the  youth  sharply  from  head  to  feet,  trying 
vainly  to  find  something  over  which  to  grumble. 
But  nothing  caught  his  eye,  and  he  passed  on,  his 
face  drawn  down  into  an  ugly  scowl. 

Bound  to  make  their  first  Sunday  on  the   ocean 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   FALL   OF   MANILA       39 

a  pleasant  one,  those  on  board  the  transport  had 
arranged  a  regular  programme  for  the  church 
service,  consisting  of  music  by  the  band,  solo  and 
quartette  singing,  and  a  sermon,  as  well  as  singing 
by  all  those  who  cared  to  take  part.  It  was  the 
band  that  called  most  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors 
together,  with  its  sweet  rendering  of  one  of  the 
old  familiar  church  airs. 

A  song  by  the  quartette  followed,  and  then 
the  chaplain  of  Ben's  regiment  stood  up  and 
preached  a  short,  but  forceful,  sermon  on  tempta- 
tions and  how  to  resist  them.  The  preacher  was 
a  young  man,  but  gifted,  and  Larry  and  Ben  re- 
membered much  of  what  was  said  long  after  the 
words  were  spoken. 

"Many  of  you  have  broken  away  from  home  for 
the  first  time,"  concluded  the  preacher.  "Perhaps 
you  feel  free  from  all  restraint.  But  remember 
that  the  eye  of  God  is  on  you  wherever  you  go. 
He  can  see  not  only  your  actions,  but  the  inner- 
most workings  of  your  heart.  And  as  God  can 
see,  to  condemn  or  reward,  so  can  He  also  help 
you,  if  you  will  but  come  to  Him." 

The  sermon  was  followed  by  a  prayer,  and  then 
the  quartette  rendered  a  song  that  seems  destined 


40  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

never  to  die,  and  which  was  particularly  appropriate 
upon  this  occasion  :  — 

"  Rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep 

I  lay  me  down  in  peace  to  sleep ; 
Secure  I  rest  upon  the  wave, 

For  thou,  O  Lord,  hast  pow'r  to  save. 
I  know  thou  wilt  not  slight  my  call, 

For  thou  dost  mark  the  sparrow's  fall ! 
And  calm  and  peaceful  is  my  sleep, 

Rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep !  " 

"  That's  grand !  "  whispered  Larry,  as  the  song 
came  to  an  end ;  and  not  only  he  but  also  Ben  and 
their  friends  joined  heartily  in  singing  the  several 
hymns  which  followed.  The  church  service  lasted 
until  nearly  noon,  and  was  repeated  every  Sunday 
during  the  remainder  of  the  voyage. 


CHAPTER  V 

STRUCK  IN  THE   DARK 

"Well,  boys,  we've  struck  winter  weather,  and 
no  mistake !  This  wind  from  the  north  chills  me 
to  the  bone  !  " 

It  was  Gilbert  who  uttered  the  words.  He  was 
standing  on  the  upper  deck  of  the  transport, 
wrapped  up  in  the  warmest  clothing  his  outfit 
contained,  which  is  not  saying  a  great  deal,  for 
the  regiment  was  equipped  for  a  campaign  in  the 
tropics,  and  not  for  life  in  the  temperate  zone. 

"  I  don't  suppose  your  Southern  blood  ever  could 
stand  the  cold,"  answered  Ben,  with  a  smile.  He 
felt  the  chilliness  in  the  air  himself. 

"It  seems  to  me  it's  rather  early  in  the  year 
for  winter  —  in  this  latitude,"  went  on  the  young 
Southerner.  "  Haven't  you  noticed  a  great  change 
since  last  night  ?  " 

"  I've  noticed  a  change  since  noon.  There  has 
been  a  big  drop  in  the  thermometer.     I  wonder  if 

41 


42  UNDER   OTIS  IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

that  betokens  a  storm.  I  hope  not,  for  a  heavy 
blow  wouldn't  be  pleasant  with  such  a  crowd 
aboard." 

"  It  means  that  we  are  in  the  vicinity  of  some 
icebergs,"  put  in  one  of  the  transport's  officers, 
who  happened  to  be  standing  near. 

"  Icebergs !  "  came  from  Ben  and  Gilbert,  simul- 
taneously. 

"  Yes,  icebergs.  You  know  they  are  frequently 
encountered  on  the  trip  from  the  United  States  to 
Europe." 

"I've  heard  of  them.  And  you  think  that  is 
what  makes  it  unusually  cool  ?  " 

"I  do.  I've  encountered  icebergs  before,  and 
the  air  was  just  as  it  is  now ; "  and  the  officer 
turned  away  to  attend  to  some  of  his  duties. 

"I'd  like  to  see  some  of  the  bergs,"  remarked 
Gilbert.  "But  I  trust  we  don't  get  too  close  to 
them,"  he  added,  with  a  serious  shake  of  his  head. 

It  was  several  days  after  the  Sunday  just  men- 
tioned, and  the  transport  had  covered  about  half 
of  the  distance  to  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  the  gate- 
way to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Soldiers  and  sailors 
had  become  settled  to  the  routine  on  board,  and 
everything  was  working   smoothly,  excepting   that 


STRUCK  IN  THE  DARK  43 

Quartermaster  Yarrow  was  continually  "  picking " 
at  Larry,  much  to  the  youth's  discomfort. 

"  He's  got  it  in  for  me,  I  can  see  that,"  said  the 
boy  to  his  brother.  "  If  I  give  him  the  least  chance, 
he'll  clap  me  in  the  brig,  or  dock  me  half  a  month's 
pay." 

"  Don't  give  him  any  chance,  then,  Larry.  Do 
your  duty  always,  and  he'll  be  bound  to  let  up 
sooner  or  later." 

"Nearly  all  of  the  men  are  down  on  him,  Jack 
Biddle  especially.  He  gave  Jack  an  awful  scold- 
ing, just  because  the  old  fellow  let  a  cup  of  coffee 
spill  over  one  of  the  hammocks  during  that  blow 
yesterday,  when  we  could  hardly  keep  our  feet. 
Jack  says  he'll  get  square,  or  know  the  reason 
why." 

"  Well,  you  keep  out  of  the  muss,  Larry.  We  all 
know  Yarrow  is  a  bully,  —  I  heard  our  own  colonel 
say  so,  —  but  a  fight  won't  mend  matters,  and  you 
had  better  make  the  best  of  it  until  we  reach  Ma- 
nila.    This  trip  won't  last  forever,"  concluded  Ben. 

It  would  not  do  to  let  the  soldiers  grow  "  rusty  " 
while  on  their  way  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  every  day 
after  roll-call  one  or  more  of  the  companies  were 
brought  on  deck  and  put  through  a  drill  lasting  the 


44  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

best  part  of  an  hour.  The  jackies  were  also  lined 
up  for  a  similar  purpose,  but  their  drill  was  limited, 
since  they  were  assigned  to  all  parts  of  the  Asiatic 
Squadron,  with  duties  just  as  diversified. 

The  drilling  of  Ben's  company  interested  Larry 
very  much,  and  his  bosom  swelled  with  pride  as  he 
heard  his  brother,  in  the  capacity  of  second  lieuten- 
ant, giving  the  necessary  orders  to  the  men  under 
him.  "  Ben's  all  right,"  he  murmured  to  himself. 
"  He  deserves  his  shoulder-straps.  When  I  get 
back  to  the  Olympia  I  must  see  what  I  can  do 
toward  gaining  war  honors." 

Besides  the  drill  there  were  numerous  other  exer- 
cises, including  fencing  and  firing  at  a  target.  Both 
Ben  and  Gilbert  were  good  shots,  hitting  the  bull's- 
eye  three  times  out  of  five,  while  Larry  did  almost 
as  well. 

"  This  trip  puts  me  a  little  in  mind  of  our  voyage 
from  Tampa  to  Baiquiri,"  said  Ben,  after  the  drill- 
ing for  the  day  was  over.  "  Only  that  didn't  last  so 
long." 

"  Sure  and  we  ain't  got  thim  dudes  wid  us  this 
trip,  lieutenant,"  broke  in  Dan  Casey.  "  Don't  yez 
remember  phwat  trouble  they  caused  all  of  us,  wid 
their  highfaluten  airs?" 


STRUCK   IN   THE   DARK  45 

"  Yah,  day  vouldn't  keep  sthill  until  I  ordered 
von  glass  case  for  to  put  dem  in,"  added  Carl 
Stummer.  "  Of  dem  dudes  vos  go  to  Vanila,  Dewey 
vould  fall  down  mit  disgust  on  seein'  dem,  hey  ?  " 

At  this  a  roar  went  up.  "  There  yez  go  wid 
Vanila  ag'in  !"  cried  Casey.  "It's  meself  has  told 
ye  it's  Manila  more  than  a  hundred  times.  Just 
remember  Manila  paper  an'  Manila  cigars,  and  for- 
git  vanila  ice-cream  fer  once,  Carl,  me  b'y,"  and 
another  roar  went  up. 

"  I  presume  we'll  see  some  strange  sights  on  the 
way,"  remarked  Gilbert  to  Ben.  "  Even  if  we  don't 
land  anywhere,  we'll  get  a  good  look  at  Port  Said 
and  Suez  when  we  go  through  the  Suez  Canal." 

"  It's  a  good  thing  the  canal  is  there.  If  it 
wasn't  we  should  have  had  to  sail  around  Cape 
Horn  or  the  southern  coast  of  Africa." 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  if  the  canal  wasn't  there,  we  should 
have  taken  the  transport  at  San  Francisco.  A  voy- 
age around  South  America  or  Africa  would  have 
taken  too  long.  But  it's  a  good  distance  as  it  is. 
With  the  annexation  of  Hawaii  and  the  scooping  in 
of  Porto  Rico  and  the  twelve  hundred  islands  of  the 
Philippines,  Uncle  Sam  will  have  a  lot  of  children 
far  and  near  to  look  after,  eh  ? " 


46  UNDER    OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  Yes,  and  he  will  have  Cuba  to  look  after,  too. 
Who  ever  supposed  when  we  turned  in  to  help  the 
starving  Cubans  that  matters  would  turn  as  they 
have?" 

"Whenever  two  nations  go  to  war  there  is  no 
telling  what  the  outcome  will  be.  If  Spain  could 
have  looked  ahead,  I  guess  she  would  have  given  the 
Cubans  their  freedom  rather  than  let  Uncle  Sam 
take  away  her  other  possessions." 

"  I've  no  doubt  of  that.  And  perhaps  we'll  be 
sorry  we  took  the  Philippines  —  if  they  get  us  into 
trouble  with  some  other  nation  who  has  a  moneyed 
interest  there,  Ben." 

The  mess  call  for  supper  interrupted  the  conver- 
sation at  this  point,  and  the  chums  separated,  each 
going  to  his  own  company's  quarters.  It  was 
already  dark,  and  all  over  the  transport  the  lights 
were  lit.  In  one  of  the  passageways  Ben  met 
Larry,  also  on  his  way  to  mess. 

"  We're  passing  some  floating  ice,"  announced 
the  young  sailor.  "  Some  of  the  cakes  are  as  large 
as  Saratoga  trunks." 

"  Is  that  so,  Larry  ?  I'll  go  up  after  supper  and 
look  at  them.  I  heard  some  thumping  awhile  ago 
and  wondered  what  it  meant." 


STRUCK   IN   THE  DARK  47 

"  We  are  a  little  short  of  ice,  and  I've  been 
watching  some  of  the  sailors  scoop  up  a  few  cakes 
with  a  big  net.  It  was  hard  work,  and  one  of  the 
crew  came  within  an  inch  of  going  overboard." 

"  Is  the  ice  like  that  we  already  have  ?  "  ques- 
tioned the  young  lieutenant,  with  interest. 

"It  seems  to  be  clearer,  and  I  heard  one  of  the 
sailors  say  that  the  heart  of  one  of  the  cakes  was 
as  hard  as  flint.  I  suppose  that  ice  has  drifted 
thousands  of  miles  from  its  home  in  the  frozen 
north." 

Everybody  was  cold,  and  a  trip  to  the  big  galley 
fire  was  considered  a  luxury.  Those  who  went  on 
deck  stayed  there  only  for  a  short  while,  and  during 
the  mess   hot   coffee   and   tea  were  at  a   premium. 

"  I'm  glad  I  haven't  a  watch  on  deck  to-night," 
remarked  Mark  Olney,  as  the  jackies  turned  in. 

"  Oh,  this  is  nothing,"  answered  Jack  Biddle. 
"I've  been  out  on  trips  when  half  the  deck  and 
rigging  were  covered  with  ice.  We  had  such  a 
trip  when  I  was  serving  under  Commodore  Schley, 
and  we  went  in  search  of  Lieutenant  Greely,  who 
had  started  out  to  locate  the  North  Pole  and  got 
lost.  We  found  Greely  at  Cape  Sabine,  and  all 
hands  came  pretty  near  freezing  to  death." 


48  UNDER   OTIS   IN"  THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  Excuse  me,  I'll  do  my  sailoring  under  the  equa* 
tor,"  said  Larry.  "  I'd  rather  run  my  chancea  of 
roasting  to  death  than  freezing.  In  the  China 
Sea  —  " 

"  Silence  forward  !  "  came  in  a  rough  voice  from 
Quartermaster  Yarrow.  "  Don't  you  know  it's  past 
pipe  down  long  ago  ?  The  whole  ship  ain't  going 
to  keep  awake  just  because  you  want  to  wag  your 
tongues.  Silence,  or  you'll  hear  from  me  !  "  And 
after  that  no  more  was  said,  and  soon  after  all 
hands  turned  in. 

For  some  reason  Larry  could  not  sleep  and  lay 
with  his  eyes  wide  open,  staring  fixedly  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hammock-cot  overhead,  in  which  Jack 
Biddle  was  already  snoring  lustily,  having  gone  to 
sleep  immediately  upon  lying  down.  Below  him 
lay  Mark  Olney,  also  in  the  land  of  dreams. 

"  I  wonder  how  Luke  and  the  others  on  board 
the  Olympia  are  getting  along  ?  "  he  mused.  "  Per- 
haps they  are  having  the  biggest  kind  of  fighting 
by  this  time.  If  they  are,  it's  too  bad  that  I  am 
not  in  it.  But  I  think  that  from  now  on  the 
army  will  get  the  lion's  share  of  the  work  and 
glory."  And  then  his  thoughts  drifted  elsewhere 
—  to  life  at  home  when  his  mother  had  been  alive, 


STRUCK  DT  THE  DARK  49 

to  his  quarrel  with  his  step-uncle  and  his  running 
away,  and  then  to  the  thrilling  voyage  on  the 
Columbia  and  Olan  Oleson's  villainy.  "It's  odd 
that  his  rascality  placed  me  under  Dewey  at  Ma- 
nila," he  went  on.  "  If  it  hadn't  been  for  that  I 
might  be  serving  under  Captain  Ponsberry  still. 
If  I  ever  meet  Oleson  again  though,  won't  I — " 

Larry  was  permitted  to  go  no  further  with  his 
meditations.       A   slight   shock   somewhere   on    the 
side    of  the  transport  interrupted  him  and  caused 
him  to  sit  bolt  upright.     "  What's  that  ?  "  he  cried 
to  another  sailor  who  had  roused  up. 
"  Bless  me,  if  I  know,"  was  the  answer. 
"  It  sounded  as  if  we  were  struck  by  something." 
"  So  it  did.     Perhaps  we  had  better  —  " 
The  jackie   never  finished  the   sentence,  nor  did 
Larry  just  then  pay  any   more    attention   to   him. 
Another  shock  had  come,   followed  by  a   grinding 
crash,    and  suddenly  the  transport   keeled  over  to 
starboard,    sending   the   youth   sprawling   headlong 
into  the  gangway.     Ere  he  could  arise  the  heavy 
form   of   Jack   Biddle   came  down   on  top   of  him, 
and  at  the  same  time  all  the  lights  went  out,  leav- 
ing those  in   that  part   of  the  ship  in  total  dark- 
ness. 


CHAPTER  VI 

JACK  BIDDLE   SPEAKS   HIS  MIND 

"  An  iceberg  has  struck  the  ship !  " 

"  We've  got  a  hole  in  our  side  and  are  sinking  !  " 

"  Let  me  out  of  this  !  I  want  to  get  into  one 
of  the  small  boats  !  " 

"  Steady  there,  men,  steady,  until  we  see  what 
the  real  trouble  is." 

Such  were  some  of  the  cries  which  rang  out 
shrilly  on  the  night  air  —  cries  to  which  but  few 
paid  any  attention.  The  shock  had  come  so  sud- 
denly, and  was  so  unexpected,  that  for  the  mo- 
ment all  was  confusion  and  terror. 

"  Let  me  up,  Biddle !  "  gasped  Larry,  as  soon  as 
he  could  speak,  and  he  tried  to  shove  the  old  tar 
to  one  side. 

"  Is  that  you  down  here,  Larry,"  was  the  answer, 
as  Biddle  scrambled  to  his  feet,  with  the  boy  fol- 
lowing.    "  What's  up  ?  " 

"  We're  struck  —  somebody  said  by  an  ice- 
50 


JACK  BIDDLE   SPEAKS   HIS   MIND  51 

berg.  I  guess  we  had  better  get  to  the  upper 
deck." 

"Hold  on  —  I'll  go  with  you,"  came  from  out 
of  the  darkness,  and  Mark  Olney  clutched  Larry 
by  the  arm.  "  Oh,  but  this  is  awful !  "  whispered 
the  newly  enlisted  one,  hoarsely.  "  Are  we  going 
down,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  That  depends  upon  how  badly  we've  been  hit," 
returned  Larry.  His  heart  was  thumping  wildly. 
What  if  they  should  go  down?  He  knew  well 
enough  that  there  were  not  small  boats  enough 
aboard  to  hold  them  all. 

"  Hi !  hi !  "  came  in  little  short  of  a  scream. 
"  Let  me  get  on  deck.  I  can't  swim  and  I  don't 
want  to  drown  !  Let  me  on  deck !  Oh,  why  did 
I  ever  come  on  this  trip !  " 

The  howl  —  for  it  was  nothing  less  —  came  from 
Quartermaster  Yarrow,  who  was  stumbling  along 
the  gangway,  stepping  on  all  who  happened  to  be 
in  his  path.  The  petty  officer  was  panic-stricken 
and  brought  up  with  great  force  against  Jack 
Biddle,  and  both  went  down. 

"  Confound  you  !  "  roared  the  old  tar,  wrathfully. 
"  What  do  you  mean  by  thumping  me  over  in  this 
wise  ?  " 


52  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  Out  of  my  way,  Biddle  —  I  don't  want  to 
drown  !  Out  of  my  way ! "  answered  Yarrow, 
with  a  pant.     And  then  he  struggled  to  rise  again. 

He  was  so  excited  that  he  paid  no  attention  to 
gentleness,  and  as  a  consequence  Biddle  found 
himself  hurled  against  some  of  the  iron  piping 
lining  the  gangway,  one  section  catching  him  over 
his  unusually  large  nose,  the  skin  of  which  was 
considerably  scraped  by  the  operation. 

"  You  infernal  landlubber !  "  was  the  old  tar's 
comment,  and  as  the  quartermaster  tried  to  step 
away  he  was  caught  by  the  leg  and  hurled  flat. 

"  Don't !  don't !  "  shrieked  Yarrow.  "  I  want 
to  get  on  deck !  Let  me  up ! "  and  rising  once 
more  he  shoved  forward  to  the  companionway, 
elbowing  everybody  right  and  left  as  he  moved  on. 

It  was  some  time  before  Larry  could  gain  the 
upper  deck,  to  find  it  so  crowded  with  soldiers 
and  sailors  that  there  was  scarcely  standing  room. 
Gazing  around  anxiously,  he  soon  saw  Ben  and  Gil- 
bert and  made  his  way  to  the  pair. 

"  We  are  struck,  Ben  !  " 

"Yes,  Larry,  a  big  iceberg  hit  us;  I  just  heard 
one  of  the  officers  say  so." 

"Is  there  any  danger?'* 


JACK  BIDDLE  SPEAKS  HIS  MIND  53 

"I  don't  know." 

"  Break  away  there  !  "  came  the  cry.  "  Don't 
block  up  this  deck  just  now.  We  are  not  seri- 
ously damaged,"  and  one  of  the  transport's  officers 
appeared,  followed  by  the  ship's  carpenter  and  two 
assistants.  "  We  haven't  lost  anything  but  some 
of  our  upper  railings.  But  it's  a  blessing  that 
that  iceberg  didn't  hit  us  squarely." 

The  crowd  shoved  to  one  side  as  the  carpenter  ap- 
proached. More  soldiers  were  coming  up  from  below, 
and  the  Russell  boys  and  Gilbert  could  scarcely  find 
room  in  which  to  breathe.  "  What  a  jam  !  "  began 
the  young  Southerner,  when  there  came  a  crack 
close  at  hand,  and  two  soldiers  standing  behind  him 
disappeared  from  view. 

"  Man  overboard  !  " 

"  The  railing  has  given  away  !     Look  out  there !  " 

"  Throw  him  a  life  preserver  and  get  out  the  life 
boat !  " 

"  Hilp  I  hilp  !  don't  let  me  dhrown  like  this !  " 
came  from  one  of  the  soldiers  in  the  water. 

"  That  was  Dan  Casey  who  went  over  !  "  gasped 
Ben. 

"  And  the  other  was  Corporal  Hawkins  of  our 
company,"  added  Gilbert.     "Can  you  see  them?" 


54  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"No,  I  can't  see  a  thing  in  the  darkness." 

"  I  see  one  of  them  !  "  cried  Larry.  "  Here  you 
go  with  that !  "  he  continued  to  some  soldiers  behind 
him. 

He  put  up  his  hand  in  the  crowd  and  one  life 
preserver  after  another  was  thrown  to  him.  Tak- 
ing as  good  an  aim  as  possible  he  hurled  the  articles 
forth,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  one  of  them 
picked  up. 

By  this  time  word  had  been  passed  to  the  engine 
room  of  the  transport  and  the  big  vessel  was  coming 
to  a  stop.  With  difficulty  a  portion  of  the  deck  was 
cleared  and  one  of  the  small  boats  was  manned  and 
lowered  over  the  side.  The  officer  in  charge  car- 
ried a  boat-hook,  a  life-line  and  a  powerful  search- 
lantern. 

"  I  hope  they  bring  them  safe  on  board,"  said 
Ben.  "  It  would  be  too  bad  if  Casey  should  be 
drowned.  He  is  one  of  the  most  whole-souled 
fellows  in  the  command." 

"And  we  can't  afford  to  lose  our  men  in  this 
fashion,"  added  Gilbert.  "We  want  to  take  them 
all  to  Manila." 

An  anxious  ten  minutes  passed,  during  which 
those  on  board  saw  but  little  saving  the  light  on 


JACK  BIDDLE   SPEAKS   HIS   MIND  55 

the  small  boat  as  it  danced  up  and  down  on  the 
billows  behind  the  transport.  Then  came  a  distant 
shout. 

"  They  are  safe  !  " 

"  Thank  God  for  that,"  murmured  Ben,  rever- 
ently, and  Larry  and  Gilbert  uttered  a  low  "amen." 

Soon  they  saw  the  small  boat  returning,  and  once 
again  room  had  to  be  made  that  it  and  its  occupants 
could  be  taken  aboard. 

"  Hurrah  for  those  who  went  to  the  rescue ! " 
shouted  somebody ;  and  the  cheers  were  given 
with  a  will.  Now  it  was  known  that  the  trans- 
port itself  was  out  of  danger  a  great  load  was 
lifted  from  the  minds  of  all,  and  once  more  order 
prevailed. 

The  corporal  belonging  to  Gilbert's  company 
had  suffered  nothing  more  than  a  thorough  wet- 
ting, but  poor  Dan  Casey  had  not  been  so  fortu- 
nate. In  his  effort  to  board  the  life-boat  he  had 
lost  his  grip,  and  a  treacherous  wave  had  cast  him 
headlong  at  the  bow,  giving  him  a  severe  blow  on 
the  head,  from  which  the  blood  flowed  profusely. 

"  We'll  take  him  to  the  sick  bay,"  said  Ben ; 
and  led  the  way  to  where  a  corner  of  the  ship  had 
been    partitioned    off    as   a   hospital.      Casey   was 


56  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

placed  on  a  soft  cot,  and  the  surgeon  in  charge 
bound  up  the  wound  and  gave  him  some  stimulants, 
after  which  the  Irish  volunteer  exchanged  his  wet 
garments  for  dry  ones.  He  smiled  grimly  when 
Ben  asked  him  how  he  felt. 

"I'll  be  meself  in  the  marnin',  lieutenant,"  was 
Casey's  answer.  "  Say,  but  I'm  bound  to  catch  it 
at  the  very  start,  ain't  I  now,  just  as  I  did  in 
Cuby  ?  "  he  added  ruefully. 

The  crash  had  come  shortly  after  twelve  o'clock, 
and  for  the  remainder  of  the  night  both  soldiers  and 
sailors  slept  but  little.  Many  remained  on  deck 
to  watch  for  more  icebergs,  but  none  of  any  size 
appeared ;  and  by  the  following  day  all  danger 
from  this  source  was  past. 

One  of  the  most  crestfallen  men  among  the  naval 
contingent  was  Quartermaster  Yarrow.  Many  had 
noticed  his  great  terror,  and  he  was  twitted  un- 
mercifully behind  his  back,  but  in  such  a  fashion 
that  a  good  deal  of  the  talk  reached  his  ears, 
causing  him  to  tremble  with  rage. 

"  He's  a  coward  if  ever  there  was  one,"  said  Jack 
Biddle.  "  Instead  of  being  in  Uncle  Sam's  navy 
he  ought  to  be  on  a  farm,  minding  cows." 

"  Even  then  he  might  be  afraid  of  being5,  hooked," 


"  I'll  show  you  who  you  are  talking  to."  —  Page  57. 


JACK  BIDDLE   SPEAKS   HIS   MLND  57 

put  in  Mark  Olney.  "Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
think  we  were  all  a  bit  rattled." 

"  But  none  of  us  quite  so  much  as  the  quarter- 
master," said  Larry.  "Why,  he  went  on  as  if  he 
was  getting  a  fit." 

At  this  juncture  Quartermaster  Yarrow  came  up 
behind  them,  just  in  time  to  catch  Larry's  words. 
Instantly  he  grew  red  in  the  face. 

"  Talking  about  me  behind  my  back,  eh  ? "  he 
growled.  "Nice  business  to  be  in.  I've  a  good 
mind  to  clap  all  of  you  in  the  brig." 

"I  don't  think  you'll  do  it,  quartermaster,"  re- 
plied Biddle,  with  a  boldness  that  astonished  Larry. 

"  I  won't  ?     Why,  you  rascal  —  " 

"  Hold  on;    I'm  no  rascal," 

"  Yes,  you  are.  Get  to  the  brig,  and  stay  there 
for  three  days.  I'll  show  you  who  you  are  talk- 
ing to  !  "  and  Yarrow  shook  his  fist  in  Jack  Biddle's 
face. 

The  old  tar  grew  pale,  and  as  quick  as  a  flash 
he  hurled  the  fist  to  one  side  and  caught  the 
quartermaster  by  the  arm. 

"  Send  me  to  the  brig,  and  you'll  be  sorry  for 
it,"  he  said  quietly  but  sternly.  "  It's  true  you 
are   the   officer  in  charge   here,  but  we  men   have, 


58  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

some  rights  that  you  are  bound  to  respect.  Ever 
since  we  sailed  from  Brooklyn  you've  played  the 
part  of  a  bully  and  a  brute,  and  I  can  get  every 
one  of  our  men  to  testify  to  it." 

"  This  is  an  —  an  outrage!  "  gasped  Yarrow.  "  It's 
—  it's  mutiny!  " 

"  No,  it's  only  plain  common  sense,  quartermaster. 
Don't  let  a  little  petty  authority  turn  your  head. 
If  you  force  me  to  do  it,  I'll  make  a  complaint 
against  you,  and  I'll  wager  I  can  get  every  Jackie 
in  our  crowd  to  back  me  up." 

"  You  will  conspire  against  me  !  "  and  Yarrow 
turned  actually  white  with  sudden  fear. 

"  No,  we'll  only  tell  the  truth,  —  how  you've 
bulldozed  this  one  and  that  one,  and  how  you  put 
Noxwell  into  the  brig  for  no  offence  at  all,  and 
how  you  acted  like  a  crazy  man  when  the  ship 
was  struck,  and  knocked  me  flat  and  skinned  my 
nose."  Jack  Biddle  paused  to  touch  the  wounded 
nasal  organ.  "  We  can  bring  a  big  score  ag'in' 
you  if  you  force  us  to  do  it." 

Quartermaster  Yarrow  glared  at  the  speaker. 
Could  he  have  done  so  he  would  have  flogged 
Jack  Biddle.  But  the  old  tar  was  undaunted  and 
stood  his  ground. 


JACK  BIDDLE  SPEAKS  HIS   MIND  59 

"  You'll  make  a  complaint  against  me,  eh  ? "  he 
said  slowly,  between  his  set  teeth. 

"  I  will  —  unless  you  treat  me  fairly  in  the  future 
—  and  do  what's  right  by  young  Russell  here  and 
Olney.  You  must  remember  that  I'm  a  seaman 
gunner  and  have  seen  many  years  of  service,  and 
Uncle  Sam  will  listen  to  me  just  as  quick  as  he 
will  to  you.  Moreover,  as  soon  as  we  reach  Manila 
your  authority  will  come  to  an  end." 

"  If  Jack  Biddle  has  to  make  a  complaint,  I'll 
do  the  same,"  put  in  Larry,  feeling  he  must  stand 
up  for  his  friend. 

"  And  so  will  I  enter  a  complaint,"  added  Mark 
Olney.  "  I'm  not  going  to  stand  being  bullied 
any  longer." 

For  fully  a  minute  the  quartermaster  stood 
speechless,  glaring  at  first  one  and  then  another 
of  the  trio.  He  felt  that  he  was  cornered,  that 
what  Biddle  had  said  was  true,  and  that  with 
a  number  of  charges  piled  up  against  him,  it 
might  go  hard  with  him  upon  reaching  Philippine 
waters. 

"You  —  you  —  this  is  a  plot  to  down  me,"  he 
muttered  at  last.  "I  can  see  through  it  from 
beginning  to   end.     You   shall   all   pay   dearly  for 


60  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

conspiring  against  me.  Just  wait  until  the  proper 
time  comes,  and  I'll  show  you  all  what  I  can  do." 
And  with  these  decidedly  unsatisfactory  remarks, 
he  hurried  off,  leaving  our  three  friends  masters, 
for  the  present,  at  least,  of  the  field. 


CHAPTER  VII 

GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE  PLOT   AGAINST  LARRY 

"You  did  just  right,"  said  Ben,  when  Larry 
told  him  of  what  had  occurred.  "Yarrow  is  sub- 
ject to  the  authority  of  the  captain  of  this  trans- 
port while  on  the  high  seas.  I  found  that  out 
from  Captain  Larchmore.  If  he  makes  any  more 
trouble,  report  him  to  Captain  Feldgard." 

"I  don't  see  how  a  fellow  can  be  so  overbear- 
ing, Ben.  I  would  rather  be  liked  by  those  under 
me  than  hated." 

"A  bully's  nature  is  born  in  him,  Larry, — just 
as  a  bulldog  is  a  bulldog  and  nothing  less.  Be- 
fore Yarrow  can  conquer  anybody  else,  he  will 
have  to  conquer  himself." 

Two  days  had  passed  since  Jack  Biddle  had 
freed  his  mind  of  what  was  on  it;  and  during 
that  time  Quartermaster  Yarrow  had  kept  his  dis- 
tance, and  nothing  more  had  been  said  about  put- 
ting anybody  in  the   brig  or   fining   him.     "  Guess 

61 


62  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

he's  going  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf,"  said  Olney ; 
but  he  was  mistaken.  The  unreasonably  petty 
officer  was  only  biding  his  time  before  mak- 
ing them  smart  for  the  fancied  insults  he  had 
received. 

As  I  have  said,  the  course  of  the  transport  was 
for  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  and  one  fine  morning 
a  dim  outline  of  distant  hills  could  be  seen  almost 
dead  ahead.  Then  the  course  was  shifted  from 
east  to  southeast,  and  presently  those  who  were 
fortunate  enough  to  own  field-glasses  made  out  the 
frowning  shore  of  Cape  St.  Vincent  on  the  south- 
west coast  of  Portugal. 

"  We'll  soon  be  close  to  Spanish  waters,"  said 
Ben.  "  We  are  less  than  two  hundred  miles  from 
Cadiz,  where  the  Spanish  warships  were  fitted  out 
for  the  fight  with  our  ships." 

"  Shall  we  pass  within  sight  of  the  city,  do  you 
think  ?  "  asked  Larry,  who  had  just  joined  him. 

"I  think  not.  Our  course  is  to  be  straight  for 
Gibraltar,  so  I  heard  a  ship's  officer  say.  I  don't 
think  the  Spaniards  will  want  to  see  us.  It  may 
be  possible  that  we  shall  stop  at  the  English  city 
of  Gibraltar." 

"It's  queer  that  England  should   have  a  posses- 


GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE  PLOT   AGAINST   LARRY      63 

sion  here,  in  the  heart  of  the  Spanish  seacoast," 
remarked  Gilbert. 

"  She  has  held  it  since  1704,  Gilbert,  after  a 
fierce  fight  by  the  English  and  Dutch  combined. 
Spain  and  France  have  both  tried  to  take  it  from 
her,  but  the  fortress  on  the  rock  is  said  to  be 
almost  impregnable.  I  should  like  to  stop  in  the 
city  and  see  how  the  English  run  things." 

"I  should  rather  stop  in  Tangier,  on  the  op- 
posite shore,  and  get  a  sight  of  Morocco,"  said 
Larry.  "  I  wonder  if  that  is  where  all  the  Mo- 
rocco leather  comes  from  ?  " 

"  Not  much !  "  said  Gilbert.  "  Perhaps  it  did 
once,  but  now  I  fancy  you  can  get  that  leather 
from  lots  of  other  places,  just  as  you  can  get 
Russian  sheet  iron  right  from  our  own  country." 

"It's  queer  we  didn't  sight  any  of  the  Azores 
Islands,"  said  Ben. 

"  We  passed  them  in  the  night,"  said  his  brother. 
"The  way  we  are  pushing  along  I  guess  the  gov- 
ernment wants  to  get  us  to  Manila  just  as  soon 
as  possible." 

It  was  a  clear  day,  much  warmer  than  it  had 
been ;  and  from  morning  until  nightfall  they  re- 
mained  in  sight  of   the   distant   hills,  which  were 


64  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

now  on  the  port  bow.  As  darkness  closed  in  on 
the  transport,  the  lights  from  the  strait  appeared, 
together  with  those  from  the  lighthouse  beyond. 

"  This  settles  sightseeing  for  us,"  remarked 
Larry,  disappointedly.  "  By  morning  I  suppose 
we'll  be  out  of  sight  of  land  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean." But  he  was  mistaken,  for  a  little  later 
the  transport  came  to  a  halt,  and  she  did  not  go 
through  the  strait  until  morning,  after  the  port 
regulations  had  been  complied  with,  and  Ameri- 
can and  British  commanders  had  exchanged  the 
usual  courtesies. 

The  course  was  now  along  the  northern  coasts 
of  Algeria  and  Tunis,  but  so  far  out  that  nothing 
was  to  be  seen  of  Algiers  or  the  other  cities  lining 
the  sea.  Other  ships  were  numerous,  including  a 
great  number  devoted  to  fishing,  for  the  Mediter- 
ranean is  alive  with  species  of  the  finny  tribe, 
tunny-fishing  especially  being  a  great  industry. 
Once  the  transport  stopped  to  take  some  tunnies 
aboard,  and  the  Russell  boys  were  surprised  at 
the  size  of  the  fishes. 

"  Why,  they  must  weigh  two  or  three  hun- 
dred pounds,"  observed  Larry.  "What  are  they 
— mackerel  ?  " 


GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE  PLOT   AGAINST  LARRY      65 

"A  kind  of  mackerel,  yes,"  replied  Jack  Biddle. 
"  Some  of  them  weigh  a  good  deal  more  than 
these,  running  up,  so  I've  been  told,  to  a  thousand 
pounds." 

"A  nice  catch  with  a  rod  and  reel,"  remarked 
Gilbert.  "I  fancy  a  fellow  would  go  overboard 
in  a  hurry  —  if  his  line  held  out." 

"And  he  was  foolish  enough  to  hold  on," 
finished  Ben. 

"  I  wonder  how  deep  this  sea  is,"  went  on  Larry. 
"  It's  so  clear  that  it  looks  as  if  it  had  no 
bottom." 

"Take  it  all  the  way  through  it's  about  half 
a  mile  deep,"  answered  Biddle,  who  had  sailed 
these  waters  half  a  dozen  times  before.  "The 
greatest  depth,  I  believe,  is  at  Gibraltar,  where 
those  high-standing  rocks  cut  down  below  the 
surface  to  a  depth  of  between  five  and  six  thou- 
sand feet." 

By  inquiry,  the  youths  learned  that  the  ship 
was  heading  almost  directly  for  Cape  Bon,  on  the 
extreme  northeast  coast  of  Tunis.  About  a  hun- 
dred miles  to  the  east  of  the  cape  lies  the  island 
of  Sicily.  "Perhaps  we'll  stop  there,"  said  Ben. 
But  this  was  not   to   be,  and   once    Cape  Bon  was 


66  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

rounded,  about  a  week  later,  the  course  of  the 
transport  was  changed  to  south-southeast  and  then 
eastward. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Mark  Olney,  one  afternoon  as 
he  came  rushing  forward.  "  I've  got  good  news, 
fellows." 

"Then  give  it  to  us  as  soon  as  possible,  young- 
ster," returned  Jack  Biddle,  while  Larry  and  a 
number  of  others  gathered  around  to  listen. 

"  We  are  approaching  the  island  of  Malta,  and 
the  commandant  says  that  if  the  British  governor- 
general  is  willing,  we  can  land  for  a  day  and 
stretch  our  legs  by  a  march  through  the  city  and 
into  the  country  beyond." 

This  was  elating  news,  and  it  did  not  take  long 
for  it  to  travel  from  one  end  of  the  transport  to 
the  other.  Larry  and  Ben  wished  to  know  all 
about  Malta  at  once,  and  at  last  found  an  old 
sailor  who  had  stopped  there  for  the  best  part  of 
a  month. 

"  It's  a  beautiful  little  island  belonging  to  the 
British  government,"  said  the  tar.  "  It's  about 
sixty  miles  south  of  Sicily,  and  more  than  twice 
that  far  from  the  African  coast.  It's  only  a  small 
place,  about  nine   miles   broad  by  seventeen   miles 


GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE  PLOT  AGAINST  LARRY      67 

long,  but  it's  a  very  important  holding  for  John 
Bull,  and  has  a  fortress  that  is  nearly  as  strong  as 
that  at  Gibraltar.  The  British  Mediterranean  Squad- 
ron makes  Malta  its  central  station." 

"I'm  glad  we  are  to  stop  there,"  put  in  Larry. 
"  Now  perhaps  we'll  see  how  our  cousins  from  over 
the  sea  manage  things." 

The  capital  of  Malta  is  Valetta,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing afternoon  they  rounded  the  north  shore  of 
the  island,  and  steamed  into  the  peaceful  harbor, 
which  was  dotted  with  innumerable  ships,  includ- 
ing several  British  men-of-war.  The  city  is  built 
on  a  peninsula,  and  rises  by  a  series  of  stone  steps, 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  the  lower  portion  being 
connected  with  the  mainland  by  a  large  central 
bridge.  Beyond  the  city  could  be  seen  a  wide 
plain,  dotted  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  trees. 
Besides  Valetta  there  are  several  other  important 
points,  including  Medina,  the  former  capital. 

Immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  the  transport, 
the  commander  of  the  expedition  went  ashore,  and 
paid  his  respects  to  the  governor-general  at  the 
palace,  and  also  called  upon  the  British  admiral, 
who  happened  to  be  in  port.  Permission  was  asked 
to  land  the  troops  and  exercise  them,  and  this  was 


68  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

readily  granted,  and  plans  for  an  informal  review 
were  arranged.  The  arrival  of  the  Americans  was 
at  once  noised  around,  and  before  nightfall  the 
busy  little  city  was  decorated  from  end  to  end 
with  British  flags  and  bunting,  entwined  here  and 
there  with  our  own  red,  white,  and  blue. 

"Johnny  Bull  is  going  to  show  his  friendliness 
this  time,"  said  Ben.  "We'll  have  to  do  our  best 
on  this  parade."  The  colonel  of  the  regiment  and 
the  commander  of  the  artillery  said  practically  the 
same  thing,  and  orders  were  at  once  issued  to 
"brush  up."  By  nine  o'clock  on  the  following 
morning  everything  was  "in  apple-pie  order,"  to 
use  Larry's  way  of  expressing  it,  shoes  polished, 
clothes  brushed,  and  not  a  button  nor  a  shirt  lace 
missing  anywhere.  The  band,  too,  had  polished  up 
their  instruments  until  they  shone  like  silver. 

The  only  man  who  was  not  happy  was  Quarter- 
master Yarrow.  For  twenty-four  hours  he  had 
speculated  upon  how  to  force  Larry  and  Jack 
Biddle  to  remain  on  board,  but  without  daring  to 
make  a  move  in  that  direction.  "If  I  go  too  far, 
they'll  press  a  charge  against  me,"  he  muttered. 
"I  must  find  some  other  way  to  punish  them." 

Bully  as  he  was,   the  quartermaster  had  made 


GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE   PLOT   AGAINST   LARRY      69 

one  friend,  or  rather  toady.  This  was  a  little  dried- 
up  fellow  named  Andy  Possy,  although  throughout 
the  transport  he  was  known  as  the  Cat,  because  of 
his  sly  manner.  Possy  had  noted  the  enmity  exist- 
ing between  Yarrow  on  one  side  and  Biddle  and 
Larry  on  the  other,  and  he  came  to  the  quarter- 
master when  he  saw  the  latter  watching  the  two 
friends. 

"If  I  was  you,  quartermaster,  I'd  show  them 
where  they  belong,"  he  ventured.  "They  don't 
treat  you  fairly,  nohow." 

"I  know  they  don't,  Andy.  But  I  don't  hardly 
know  how  to  handle  them.  If  I  do  anything,  they'll 
get  up  a  protest,  and  you  know  nearly  all  the  crowd 
are  down  on  me,"  was  Yarrow's  moody  reply. 

"  Yes,  I  know  they  are  all  down  on  you  —  all 
but  me,"  went  on  the  toady.  "  But  I  wouldn't 
stand  it,  not  much !  Ain't  you  the  quartermaster, 
an'  over  'em  ?  " 

"  I  know,  but  still  — "  Yarrow  paused  and 
pulled  nervously  at  his  mustache.  "Possy,  have 
you  got  anything  in  your  mind  ? "  he  went  on, 
suddenly. 

"Well  —  er  —  maybe  I  have,  quartermaster.  I 
was  only  thinkin'  to  help  you,  you  know." 


70  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  To  be  sure.  You  seem  to  be  the  only  friend 
I  have  here.     What  were  you  thinking  of?" 

"Thinkin'  of  how  you  could  get  square  with 
Biddle  and  young  Russell." 

"Do  you  mean  by  making  them  remain  on 
board?" 

"No,  I  wouldn't  do  that,  because  if  you  do,  the 
crowd  will  be  wuss  down  on  you  than  ever." 

"Well,  what  were  you  thinking  of,  then?" 

"I  was  thinking  if  it  wouldn't  be  a  better  plan 
if  you  got  rid  of  them  entirely." 

"Rid  of  them?" 

"That's  what  I  said,  quartermaster.  If  they 
wasn't  on  the  transport  after  to-day,  then  they 
wouldn't  bother  you  any  more ;  see  ?  " 

"I  see,  but  I  don't  exactly  catch  your  meaning, 
Andy.  Of  course  you  don't  mean  for  me  to  get 
rid  of   them  entirely  —  that  is,  to  do  them  foul  ? " 

"  Oh,  no !  You  can  get  rid  of  'em  easier  than 
that  —  and  without  committing  any  great  crime, 
either;  that  is,  if  we  get  a  few  hours  to  ourselves 
when  we  are  on  shore." 

"  And  how  can  it  be  done  ?  "  demanded  Yarrow. 
"  Speak  right  out,  Andy ;  you  can  trust  me."  . 

"  If  the  boys  get  a  few  hours  to  themselves,  you 


GIBRALTAR,   AND  THE  PLOT   AGAINST  LARRY      71 

or  I  can  easily  manage  to  separate  Biddle  and  Rus- 
sell from  the  rest  of  the  party.  Then  whoever  does 
the  trick  can  lead  'em  to  some  lonely  spot,  —  for  the 
purpose  of  showin'  'em  some  interesting  sight,  you 
know,  —  and  there  you  or  I  can  treat  'em  from  a 
bottle  of  liquor  that  is  drugged.  They'll  fall  down 
asleep,  and  if  you  don't  report  their  absence,  the 
transport  will  sail  without  'em,  and  they'll  be  left 
on  the  island  among  strangers,  instead  of  joining 
the  navy  at  Manila." 

"  By  Jove,  Andy,  that's  a  scheme,"  said  Yarrow, 
softly,  his  dark  face  lightening  up.  "But  there 
are  two  points  which  you  have  overlooked.  In 
the  first  place,  Russell  doesn't  drink  liquor  of  any 
kind,  and  in  the  second  we  haven't  any  drug  with 
which  to  dose  them." 

"If  Russell  don't  drink  liquor,  we  can  put  the 
drug  in  a  bottle  of  soft  stuff  —  say  lemonade  or 
ginger  ale." 

"  But  where  is  the  drug  to  come  from  ?  I  don't 
know  what  to  use  that  is  safe,  and  if  I  did,  I 
wouldn't  dare  to  go  to  the  ship's  apothecary  for 
it,  for  fear  of  giving  the  whole  scheme  away." 

"  This  is  an  English  town,  and  there  must  be  an 
English  druggist  here.     I  know  all  about  knockout 


72  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

drops,  as  they  are  called,  and  if  you  say  the  word, 
I'll  get  'em,"  went  on  Andy  Possy,  in  a  whisper. 

"  What  will  they  cost  —  much  ?  " 

"Not  more  than  two  or  three  shillings, — say 
fifty  cents.  The  scheme's  worth  trying  —  if  you 
want  to  get  square,"  added  the  Cat,  earnestly. 
He  and  Jack  Biddle  had  had  a  row  over  sleeping- 
quarters  the  first  night  out,  and  he  in  consequence 
bore  the  old  tar  no  good  will.  As  for  Larry,  he 
had  tried  to  become  intimate  with  the  lad,  but 
Possy's  manner  smacked  too  much  of  the  Bowery, 
New  York,  where  he  belonged ;  and  the  youth  had 
given  him  the  cold  shoulder,  something  which  had 
angered  Possy  not  a  little. 

"All  right,  we'll  try  your  plan,  —  if  the  right 
chance  comes,"  answered  Quartermaster  Yarrow, 
after  a  slight  pause.  "But  don't  breathe  a  word 
of  this  to  anybody  else,  Andy,  or  it  will  mean 
arrest  and  imprisonment  for  both  of  us." 

"  I'll  be  as  mum  as  an  oyster,  quartermaster,  trust 
me,"  was  the  cautious  response  ;  and  then,  as  one  of 
the  regimental  officers  came  up  to  consult  Yarrow  in 
reference  to  the  part  the  jackies  were  to  take  in  the 
coming  review,  Andy  Possy  slunk  away  in  the  cat- 
like fashion  that  had  given  him  his  nickname. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

AN  ADVENTURE   ON   THE  ISLAND   OF   MALTA 

"  Hurrah  for  a  day  ashore  !  May  we  all  have 
lots  of  fun  and  show  our  English  cousins  that 
Uncle  Sam  is  some  pumpkins,  after  all." 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  are  enthusiastic,  Larry, " 
said  Ben,  who  was  putting  the  finishing  touches 
to  his  toilet.  "But  don't  let  your  high  spirits 
run  away  with  you,  or  that  quartermaster  will  clap 
you  into  the  brig  without  warning." 

"  Humph  !  He  hasn't  dared  to  say  a  word  cross- 
wise since  Jack  Biddle  spoke  up  as  he  did,"  an- 
swered the  young  sailor.  "We  are  all  doing  our 
duties,  and  that  is  all  that  can  be  expected  of  us. 
If  he  made  us  stay  on  board,  he  would  get  a  reg- 
ular hornets'  nest  around  his  head,  and  I  know  it." 

"If  we  get  the  chance,  we  must  take  a  walk 
out  together,  —  you,  Gilbert,  and  I,"  went  on  the 
young  lieutenant.  "  It's  too  bad  Walter  isn't  with 
us,  eh  ?  " 

73 


74  UNDER   OTIS   IF  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Oh,  he'll  have  sight-seeing  enough,  Ben.  The 
Brooklyn  is  bound  for  a  regular  tour,  you  know, 
along  with  the  rest  of  the  Atlantic  Squadron. 
But  I  must  join  our  men  now,"  and  Larry  ran 
off,  whistling  as  he  went.  He  was  a  sailor 
through  and  through,  but  a  run  on  shore  always 
pleased  him  and  "gave  him  a  better  taste  for  salt 
water,"  as  he  was  wont  to  say. 

Before  ten  o'clock  all  the  sailors  and  soldiers 
were  landed,  and  soon  the  parade  commenced, 
through  the  principal  streets  and  then  up  to  the 
parade  ground,  where  the  review  was  held.  The 
band  came  first,  playing  "  God  Save  the  Queen," 
as  a  compliment  to  the  inhabitants,  and  then  fol- 
lowed the  twelve  infantry  companies  and  the  ar- 
tillery, with  the  sailors  bringing  up  in  the  rear. 
Flags  were  flying  gayly,  and  a  gun  at  the  fortress 
thundered  out  a  salute  as  the  reviewing  ground 
was  reached,  and  the  governor-general  and  the 
admiral  viewed  the  parade  from  the  saddles  of 
their  mettlesome  horses.  Behind  these  two  dig- 
nitaries were  stationed  numerous  other  officers  of 
the  garrison  stationed  at  Malta,  and  from  the 
warships. 

The  crowd  swarming   on  all   sides  was   a   dense 


AN  ADVENTUBE   ON  THE  ISLAND  OF  MALTA        75 

one,  for  parades  are  not  numerous  in  Valetta,  and 
this  was  the  first  time  that  the  natives  had  had 
a  chance  of  seeing  Uncle  Sam's  soldiers  and  sailors. 
As  the  colonel  in  command  appeared,  followed  by 
the  first  infantry  company,  there  was  a  loud  burst 
of  applause,  and  this  increased  as  company  after 
company  swept  by,  each  line  as  straight  as  a 
string  and  all  keeping  step  as  only  our  soldiers 
can  when  placed  on  their  mettle.  "It  is  fine," 
murmured  the  governor-general  to  the  admiral. 
"  Our  own  infantry  could  not  possibly  do  better." 

"  The  band  makes  itself  heard,"  answered  the 
admiral,  as  his  horse  began  to  prance.  "I  wish 
they  wouldn't  give  us  quite  so  much  music." 
Probably  he  would  have  preferred  being  on  the 
deck  of  one  of  his  ships  rather  than  in  the  saddle 
just  then. 

For,  as  the  second  company  of  infantry  came  up, 
and  the  noise  increased,  the  steed  he  rode  gave  a 
turn  and  a  bound,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  naval 
commander  was  unseated.  He  tried  to  save  him- 
self, but  the  most  he  could  do  was  to  cling  to  the 
saddle  with  his  arms,  while  the  horse  went  plung- 
ing forward,  rearing  and  kicking  in  a  truly  violent 
fashion. 


76  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Save  the  admiral !  He'll  go  down  and  be 
trampled  to  death  !     Stop  the  horse  !  " 

Such  was  the  cry  which  arose,  but  for  the  in- 
stant the  horse  seemed  so  vicious,  and  so  bent 
upon  mischief,  that  hardly  anybody  ran  to  the 
naval  officer's  assistance.  In  the  meantime  the 
steed  rushed  onward,  straight  for  Company  B,  of 
which  we  know  Gilbert  was  one  of   the  sergeants. 

The  young  Southerner  saw  the  steed  coming 
and  started  to  leap  to  one  side.  Then,  urged  by 
a  sudden  inspiration,  he  sprang  forward,  and  as 
quick  as  a  wink  he  had  the  horse  by  the  bridle, 
to  which  he  held  fast  with  all  his  strength.  Again 
the  steed  reared  and  plunged,  shaking  his  head 
from  side  to  side,  but  Gilbert's  grip  did  not  re- 
lax, and,  at  last,  finding  himself  thus  suddenly 
mastered,  the  beast  became  quiet,  and  the  admiral 
slipped  to  the  ground. 

"  I  reckon  he  will  be  all  right  now,  sir,"  said 
Gilbert,  as  soon  as  the  violence  of  his  exertions 
would  permit  him  to  speak.  "  The  band  fright- 
ened him  a  bit,  that's  all." 

"I  —  ah  —  suppose  that's  true,"  answered  the 
naval  officer.  "  You're  a  brave  fellow  to  stop  him 
as  you  did." 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE   ISLAND   OF   MALTA       77 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing,  sir.  I'm  used  to  horses 
—  used  to  belong  to  our  Rough  Riders,"  and  a 
twinkle  shone  in  the  sergeant's  eye. 

"The  Rough  Riders  that  fought  in  Cuba?" 
questioned  the  admiral,  with  sudden  interest. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Then,  no  wonder  you  weren't  afraid  of  this 
beast.  I've  heard  those  men  weren't  afraid  of 
anything."  The  admiral  swung  himself  into  the 
saddle  again,  making  sure  that  he  now  held  a 
tight  rein.  "I  owe  you  one  for  this,  sergeant, 
and  I  shall  not  forget  you ;  "  and  then  he  rode 
back  to  the  governor-general's  side,  leaving  Gil- 
bert to  follow  up  Company  B  on  the  double- 
quick.  The  incident  had  caused  a  slight  break 
in  the  ranks,  but  this  was  speedily  straightened 
out. 

The  review  at  an  end,  the  soldiers  and  sailors 
left  the  parade  ground,  and  after  a  hearty  dinner 
struck  out  again  through  the  streets  of  the  city 
and  then  on  to  a  country  road  lined  with  fine 
residences  and  beautiful  shade  trees.  The  day 
was  mild  and  clear,  and  it  can  truthfully  be  said 
that  the  majority  of  those  in  the  crowd  had  never 
enjoyed    themselves    so    much.      Formalities   were 


78  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

cast  aside,  and  all  moved  forward  in  irregular 
lines,  walking  with  such  chums  as  were  convenient. 

"They  tell  me  you  acted  the  part  of  a  hero, 
Gilbert,"  said  Ben,  as  soon  as  they  were  together. 
"This  will  be  a  big  feather  in  your  cap.  Per- 
haps the  admiral  will  decorate  you  with  the  Order 
of  the  Horse,  or  something  like  that." 

The  young  Southerner  laughed.  "Are  you 
praising  me  or  poking  fun  at  me  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I'm  praising  you,  to  be  sure.  And  you  cer- 
tainly deserve  it." 

"Thanks.  But  let  us  talk  about  something 
else,"  said  Gilbert,  modestly. 

"I  will,  after  you've  told  me  what  the  admiral 
said.     It's  something  to  have  talked  to  him." 

"He  thanked  me." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  Well,  he  said  he  owed  me  one  and  should  not 
forget  me." 

"That  was  nice.  Perhaps  he'll  send  you  a  big 
reward." 

"I  don't  want  any  reward,  Ben,  and  I  don't 
want  to  be  joked  about  it.     Where  are  we  going?" 

"That  is  more  than  I  know,  excepting  that  we 
are  to  take  it  easy  in  a  patch  of  woods  some  dis- 


AN  ADVENTURE   ON  THE  ISLAND   OF  MALTA       79 

tance  ahead.  For  my  part,  I  should  have  liked  to 
remain  in  Valetta.  They  say  that  there  is  a 
fine  cathedral  there,  as  well  as  a  university,  a  pub- 
lic library,  and  an  armory  full  of  relics,  attached 
to  the  palace." 

"  Perhaps  we'll  get  a  chance  to  visit  those 
places  this  evening  —  if  we're  allowed  on  shore." 

"  No,  we're  to  be  on  board  again  at  eight  o'clock 
sharp.  I  heard  the  order  before  we  started.  By 
the  way,  where  is  Larry?" 

"Back  among  the  sailors,  I  suppose." 

"  I  wish  he  would  come  up,  and  we  could  be  all 
together.  Let  us  drop  back  and  look  for  him," 
said  the  young  lieutenant. 

The  party  had  branched  off  on  a  side  road, 
which  was  somewhat  rocky  and  narrow.  Here 
the  houses  were  much  scattered,  and  at  a  distance 
could  be  seen  the  blue  waters  of  the  sea.  Before 
they  could  turn  back,  the  command  came  to  halt. 

"  "We  shall  remain  here  for  two  hours,"  said  the 
officer  in  charge.  "  During  that  time  each  man 
will  be  allowed  to  go  where  he  pleases,  but  he 
must  take  care  that  no  private  property  is  invaded, 
and  no  depredations  of  any  kind  will  be  permitted. 
During   our   stay   on   English   soil,   I   expect   each 


80  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

man  to  act  the  part  of  a  gentleman.  Any  offence 
whatever  will  be  punished  heavily." 

"  That's  plain  enough,"  whispered  Gilbert.  "  I 
reckon  that  will  sober  those  who  have  any  inclina- 
tion to  'get  gay,'  as  the  saying  goes." 

"  It's  pretty  hard  to  keep  them  all  in  harness," 
returned  Ben,  with  a  shake  of  his  head.  "I  my- 
self feel  like  a  boy  just  out  of  school.  Look  at 
that,  now,"  and  he  pointed  to  where  some  soldiers 
were  climbing  several  trees  like  so  many  cats, 
while  others  were  doing  circus  tricks  in  the  grass. 
"When  he's  let  loose  like  this,  a  man's  a  boy, 
no  matter  how  old  in  years  he  gets." 

Pushing  their  way  through  the  grove  of  trees, 
the  pair  made  their  way  to  where  a  number  of 
the  sailors  were  taking  it  easy,  content  to  lie  upon 
Mother  Earth  and  smoke  their  pipes,  in  preference 
to  tramping  around  in  the  sun. 

"I  don't  see  Larry  anywhere,"  said  the  young 
lieutenant,  after  a  close  look  around. 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  he  has  gone  off  with  some  of 
the  other  tars,"  returned  Gilbert. 

"  It's  odd  if  he  has,  for  I  spoke  to  him  about 
our  taking  a  walk  together." 

"  He    may    be    looking    for    us.      It's    no    easy 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE   ISLAND   OF   MALTA       81 

matter  to  find  anybody  in  such  a  big  crowd  as 
this." 

They  walked  around  for  half  an  hour,  but  with- 
out catching  sight  of  the  young  sailor.  Then  Gil- 
bert proposed  a  walk  to  the  cliff  overlooking  the 
Mediterranean,  and  Ben  reluctantly  consented. 
The  view  from  the  cliff  was  very  fine,  and  it  was 
almost  time  to  re-form  companies  when  they  came 
back,  each  carrying  some  curious  shells  he  had 
picked  up. 

"  No  Larry  yet,"  said  Ben ;  still  he  was  not 
alarmed,  knowing  that  his  younger  brother  was 
forgetful  at  times,  and  in  the  habit  of  doing  what- 
ever came  into  his  head  first.  Then  the  com- 
panies began  to  form ;  and  presently  the  march 
back  to  the  city  was  begun. 

On  the  main  street  there  was  another  demon- 
stration, and  the  garrison  band  came  out  to  help 
along  the  celebration.  British  sailors  and  soldiers 
mingled  with  our  own,  as  though  they  were 
brothers  in  country  as  well  as  in  blood.  "Tell 
you  what,  Anglo-Saxon  blood  counts  for  some- 
thing," remarked  Gilbert,  as  he  viewed  the  scene, 
and  shook  hands  with  several  British  soldiers  with 
whom  he  had  become  acquainted. 


82  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"Right  you  are,  sir,"  answered  a  tall  lieutenant 
of  the  Royal  Guard.  "  Anglo-Saxon  blood  is 
bound  to  rule  the  world.  Good-by  to  you,  and 
the  best  of  success  at  Manila ; "  and  so  they 
parted,  with  a  rousing  cheer  on  both  sides.  That 
visit  to  Malta  was  one  which  those  American 
soldiers  and  sailors  were  bound  never  to  forget. 

It  was  dark  when  the  last  of  the  troops  filed  on 
board  of  the  transport.  All  were  tired  but  happy. 
It  took  some  little  time  to  restore  order,  and  then, 
contrary  to  Quartermaster  Yarrow's  expectation,  a 
close  roll-call  was  ordered,  and  all  hands  were 
lined  up  for  that  purpose. 

The  roll-call  revealed  the  fact  that  a  certain 
Captain  Alvord,  of  Company  H,  Larry  Russell, 
and  Jack  Biddle  were  missing. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  PLOT  COMES  TO  A   TTTCAn 

The  march  into  the  country  behind  the  English 
city  of  Valetta  was  one  of  great  pleasure  to  Larry 
and  to  Jack  Biddle,  especially  so  to  the  old  sailor, 
who  had  hardly  set  foot  on  shore  for  two  years, 
having  been  transferred  directly  from  the  Texas 
to  the  transport. 

"I  love  the  sea,"  said  Biddle,  as  they  trudged 
along  —  for  old  sailors  cannot  march,  they  having 
too  much  of  the  "sea  roll"  in  their  legs.  "But 
once  in  a  while  I  get  a  regular  hankerin'  after 
land,  and  then  I've  got  to  go  ashore  or  stand  a 
spell  of  sickness." 

"You  are  not  much  different  from  all  of  us, 
Jack,"  answered  Larry,  as  he  looked  behind  them. 
' '  What  a  crowd  of  natives  are  following  us  !  " 

"I  suppose  they  think  we  are  a  sight  —  like  a 
Wild  West  show,"  put   in   Mark  Olney.     "What 

83 


84  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

are  these  natives  anyway  ?  I  can't  understand  a 
word  they  say." 

"Most  of  them  speak  Italian,  I  believe.  But 
Malta  has  had  such  a  checkered  career  that  the 
people  speak  French,  Spanish,  Arabic,  and  half  a 
dozen  combinations  as  well,  including  an  English 
that  nobody  but  an  experienced  Britisher  can 
understand." 

On  they  went.  As  they  progressed,  Larry  tried 
to  get  to  the  regiment  of  infantry,  to  hunt  up 
Ben,  but  the  battery  was  between,  and  the  road 
was  too  narrow  for  his  purpose. 

The  outing  party,  if  I  may  call  it  such,  had 
scarcely  come  to  a  halt  when  Andy  Possy  ran  up 
to  where  Larry  and  Biddle  had  become  somewhat 
separated  from  the  others.  "Say,  you  fellows," 
he  said,  "  Quartermaster  Yarrow  wants  to  see 
you." 

" To  see  us ?  "  questioned  Larry.    "  What  about?" 

"  He's  got  something  he  wants  the  three  of  us 
to  do,"  answered  the  sly  one.  "  He's  over  here," 
—  with  a  wave  of  his  hand.     "Come  on." 

"I  didn't  know  as  how  we  were  to  do  any  work 
to-day,"  grumbled  Jack  Biddle  ;  nevertheless,  he 
followed   Andy   Possy,   and    Larry   did  the    same. 


THE  PLOT  COMES  TO   A  HEAD  85 

The  way  was  out  of  the  grove  to  a  side  road 
leading  along  the  cliff  already  described. 

"  I  guess  he  has  gone  on  ahead,"  said  Possy 
when  a  certain  spot  was  reached.  "I  left  him 
here."  He  shaded  his  face  and  looked  up  the 
path.     "Ah,  there  he  is,  waving  us  to  come  on." 

After  skirting  the  cliff  for  several  hundred  feet, 
the  road  turned  inland  and  ran  up  the  rocky  side 
of  a  hill,  at  the  top  of  which  could  be  seen  a 
native  hotel  which  commanded  a  superb  view  of 
the  Mediterranean  Sea.  "  That's  the  place  he 
mentioned,"  said  Possy.  "  There  he  is  on  the 
veranda." 

The  climb  up  the  hill  was  by  no  means  easy, 
the  path  being  one  that  was  but  little  used.  By 
the  time  the  hotel  was  gained,  Larry  was  pretty 
well  winded  and  glad  enough  to  sit  down. 

"  I'm  sorry  I  had  to  make  you  come  so  far," 
said  Yarrow,  in  apparent  sympathy.  "  But  if  this 
trip  pays  what  I  think  it  will,  it  will  be  a  few 
dollars  in  both  of  your  pockets." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  us  ? "  demanded  Jack 
Biddle. 

"  I'll  explain  in  a  few  minutes,  Biddle.  But  first 
we  will  have  something  to  drink —  at  my  expense." 


86  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"Well,  I  won't  object  to  that,  quartermaster. 
I'm  uncommon  dry,"  responded  the  old  sailor,  his 
manner  softening  a  little. 

"I  don't  drink  liquor,  but  I  wouldn't  object  to 
something  else,"  added  Larry. 

"  Ginger  ale  or  soda  water  ?  " 

"Soda  water  will  do  very  well.  But  won't  we 
have  to  hurry  in  getting  back,  sir  ? " 

"  No,  we  have  an  hour  and  a  half  yet.  We  are 
not  to  start  so  early.  That  notice  given  out  was 
only  a  bluff,  to  keep  the  men  from  going  too  far 
off.  Possy,  get  the  drinks  from  that  Englishman 
inside.  Get  what  you  want  for  yourself  and  a 
rum  punch  for  Biddle  and  for  me." 

As  Andy  Possy  understood  the  quartermaster's 
plan  perfectly,  he  disappeared  instantly,  to  be  gone 
the  best  part  of  ten  minutes.  A  waiter,  with  a 
trayful  of  glasses,  followed  him,  but  it  was  Possy 
who  set  around  the  various  refreshments. 

Larry  found  the  soda  water  both  warm  and  bit- 
ter. Yet  he  was  as  dry  as  anybody,  and  quickly 
drained  the  glass.  Biddle  lingered  over  his  liquor, 
but  presently  that,  too,  disappeared,  together  with 
the  other  drinks  of  the  party. 

"Now  we'll  take  a  walk  to  the  buildings  back 


THE  PLOT  COMES  TO  A  HEAD  87 

of  this  hotel,  and  I'll  show  you  what  brought  me 
here,"  said  Quartermaster  Yarrow,  as  he  eyed 
Larry  and  Biddle  keenly.  Possy  was  behind  the 
pair  and  nodded  significantly. 

"  All  right ;  I'm  ready,  sir,"  answered  Larry,  as 
he  arose  and  stretched  himself.  Biddle  also  got 
up,  yawning  at  the  same  time.  Possy  caught  him 
by  the  arm,  and  they  walked  off  together,  while 
Yarrow  ranged  up  beside  Larry. 

Unsuspecting  the  plot  against  them,  the  two 
friends  allowed  themselves  to  be  led  along  another 
rocky  path  until  the  ruins  of  an  old  monastery 
were  reached.  By  this  time  Biddle  was  yawning 
more  than  ever,  while  for  some  reason  Larry  could 
scarcely  keep  his  eyes  open. 

"  Oh,  how  sleepy  I  am  all  at  once !  "  murmured 
the  young  sailor.  "  I  can  hardly  put  one  foot  be- 
fore the  other." 

"  The  climb  has  tired  you,"  answered  Yarrow. 
"  Here,  sit  down  for  a  few  minutes,"  and  he  led 
the  way  to  a  grassy  nook  in  the  shade  of  a  crum- 
bled stone  wall.  Larry  was  perfectly  willing  to 
rest,  and  hardly  had  his  body  touched  the  sward 
than  he  closed  his  eyes.  He  tried  to  rouse  up, 
but  the  effort  was  a  failure,  and   soon  he  was  in 


88  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

the  soundest  kind  of  a  sleep  —  the  sleep  of  the 
drugged. 

"  Hello,  Russell  is  resting  ;  guess  I'll  rest  a  bit, 
too,"  cried  Jack  Biddle,  on  coming  up.  "  Quarter- 
master, that  punch  was  powerful  stuff." 

"  So  it  was,  Biddle,  but  it  touched  the  right 
spot,  eh  ?  " 

"It's  made  me  heavy-eyed — I  don't  feel  just 
right." 

"  Perhaps  the  walk  in  the  sun  affected  you  — 
after  being  on  shipboard  so  long." 

"That  must  be  it."  Jack  Biddle  scratched  his 
head.  "  But  I  never  felt  so  befuddled  before.  I  — 
I  can't  see  straight  —  and  I  ain't  full  either." 

"  Of  course  you  are  not  full.  You  must  be  sick. 
Want  any  medicine  ?  " 

"  I —  I  —  don't  know.  Everything  is  goin'  round 
—  and  —  and  —  That  liquor  —  Yarrow,  did  you  — 
you  play  any  —  game  —  "  Jack  Biddle  could  not 
finish,  and  with  his  suspicion  that  all  was  not  as  it 
should  be  he  keeled  over  insensible. 

"  The  drug  has  done  the  business,"  muttered 
Andy  Possy,  with  a  satisfied  gleam  in  his  cat-like 
eyes.  "I  told  you  it  wouldn't  fail,  quarter- 
master." 


THE  PLOT   COMES   TO   A   HEAD  89 

"You  don't  think  it  will  kill  either  of  them?" 
demanded  Yarrow,  nervously. 

"Kill  'em?  Not  at  all.  Why,  that  game  has 
been  played  on  the  Bowery  in  New  York  a  thou- 
sand times.  I  knew  just  how  much  to  give  each 
of  'em." 

"  And  how  long  do  you  suppose  they'll  sleep  ?  " 

"  Till  to-morrow  morning,  most  likely.  Come, 
let  us  get  'em  out  of  the  way  before  anybody  sees 
them." 

Approaching  Larry,  the  rascals  picked  up  the 
unconscious  form  and  started  into  the  ruins  with 
it.  Passing  through  a  huge  archway  and  across 
a  deserted  courtyard,  they  entered  an  apartment 
which  was  gloomy,  dusty,  and  covered  with  cob- 
webs. 

"This  is  good  enough,"  said  Yarrow.  "Drop 
him." 

"I  was  going  to  put  'em  both  in  the  cellar," 
grinned  Possy.  "  Some  tourists  might  come  here 
and  spoil  our  game." 

"  Is  the  cellar  a  fit  place  ?  " 

"Good  enough  for  them." 

"  All  right  then.  But  hurry  up,  or  we'll  get  left 
ourselves." 


90  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

Passing  through  the  apartment,  they  came  to  a 
long,  low  hall.  At  one  side  was  a  flight  of  stone 
steps  leading  downward.  The  steps  were  covered 
with  rubbish  and  they  had  to  move  with  care,  for 
fear  of  slipping  and  landing  at  the  bottom  in  a  heap. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  the  Cat,  at  length,  and  led 
the  way  into  what  had  once  been  a  fine  underground 
apartment,  but  which  was  now  little  better  than  a 
hole  in  the  ground.  Larry  was  placed  on  a  pile 
of  musty  straw ;  and  the  two  hastened  back  for 
Jack  Biddle.  The  old  sailor  was  heavy,  and  Yar- 
row found  himself  almost  winded  when  the  job 
was  completed. 

"Now  good-by,  and  may  you  remain  on  the 
island  of  Malta  for  a  long  while  to  come,"  remarked 
the  quartermaster,  as  he  shook  his  fist  at  the  sleep- 
ing forms.  Possy  said  nothing,  but  came  up  the 
stairs  behind  his  superior,  and  at  the  door  he  paused 
long  enough  to  close  and  bolt  the  barrier. 

"  Going  to  lock  them  in,  eh  ?  "  said  the  petty  offi- 
cer. "  It's  all  right  enough,  but  they  may  starve  to 
death." 

"Then  let  'em  starve,"  was  Possy's  heartless  re- 
sponse. "  Come  on,"  and  he  caught  the  quarter- 
master by  the  arm.      In  a  minute  more  they  were 


THE   PLOT  COMES   TO   A   HEAD  91 

on  their  way  back  to  the  grove  where  the  others 
from  the  transport  were  resting.  Before  reaching 
there,  however,  they  took  care  to  separate, — Yarrow 
joining  the  other  officers,  and  Possy  finding  his  way 
among  the  sailors. 

"Possy,  have  you  seen  anything  of  Larry  Rus- 
sell ?  "  It  was  Mark  Olney  who  asked  the  question, 
just  after  the  rascal  had  arrived. 

The  unexpected  question  startled  the  Cat.  "  Why 
—  er  —  what's  that  ?  "  he  stammered. 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  Larry  Russell  ?  His 
brother,  the  lieutenant,  is  looking  for  him." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  he's  around  somewhere,"  growled 
Possy.  "  I  ain't  keepin'  track  of  everybody  that's 
here.  Let  his  brother  find  him  if  he  wants  him." 
And  to  avoid  further  questioning,  he  hurried  off, 
and  saw  to  it  during  the  remainder  of  the  outing 
that  he  did  not  come  in  contact  with  either  Ben  or 
Gilbert. 


CHAPTER  X 

STRANDED   AMONG  STRANGERS 

"  Oh  my,  how  my  head  aches !  " 

It  was  Larry  who  uttered  the  remark,  as  he  sat 
up  in  the  darkness,  stretched  himself,  and  rubbed 
his  eyes.  For  several  minutes  he  could  scarcely 
collect  his  scattered  senses.  Then  the  truth  dawned 
upon  him. 

"I  went  to  sleep  on  the  grass  beside  that  wall," 
he  mused.  "Where  can  I  be  now?  Certainly  not 
on  shipboard."  He  felt  of  the  stone  flooring  and 
straw  beneath  him.  "  Well,  if  this  isn't  the  queer- 
est yet !  " 

Presently  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the 
gloom,  and  at  a  distance  he  made  out  several  small 
windows,  each  heavily  barred.  Then  his  gaze 
turned  and  he  saw  Jack  Biddle  lying  but  a  few 
feet  away,  and  breathing  heavily. 

"  Tack !  Jack !  Wake  up !  Something  is  the 
92 


STRANDED  AMONG  STRANGERS         93 

matter,"  he  called  out,  and  going  to  his  friend  he 
shook  him  vigorously. 

"Wha-what's  that?"  came  in  drowsy  tones. 
"  Why  can't  you  let  me  sleep  a  bit  longer  ?  How 
many  bells  is  it?" 

"  Never  mind  about  the  bells ;  we  must  get  back 
to  the  transport,"  interrupted  the  youth.  "  If  we 
don't  get  back,  we'll  be  left.  Come,  get  up,"  and 
he  pulled  Jack  by  the  arm. 

Slowly  the  old  sailor  arose,  as  much  bewildered 
as  Larry  had  been.  But  presently  he  gave  a 
snort.  "  Where  is  Yarrow  and  that  Possy  ?  "  he 
asked  sharply.  "  They  are  responsible  for  this. 
That  liquor  was  drugged,  and  I  know  it." 

"  Drugged  ?  " 

"That's  what  I  said,  lad.  It's  a  trick  on  us. 
We  were  fools  to  trust  the  quartermaster  and  the 
Cat.     Where  are  we?" 

"  I  don't  know.  Some  place  that  looks  like  a 
cellar." 

"They  must  have  brought  us  here.  Oh,  the 
villains  !  Just  wait  till  I  get  my  hands  on  'em, 
that's  all  !  " 

"  But  I  don't  understand,  Jack.  Why  would 
they  bring  us  here  ?  " 


94  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"It's  as  plain  as  day.  Possy  is  down  on  me, 
and  the  quartermaster  is  down  on  both  of  us. 
They  thought  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  leave  us 
in  Malta,  stranded." 

"  Can  that  be  possible  ? "  cried  Larry.  He 
thought  for  a  moment.  "It  must  be  so.  That 
soda  water  was  very  bitter,  —  not  a  bit  natural,  — 
and  I  felt  sleepy  right  after  drinking  it.  Oh, 
Jack,  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Get  out  of  here,  and  see  if  we  can't  catch  the 
transport  before  she  sails,"  was  the  quick  reply. 
"  Come  on  ;   where's  the  door  ?  " 

They  started  on  a  hunt  and  the  door  was  speedily 
found.  Try  their  best  they  could  not  budge  the 
barrier,  which  was  a  massive  affair  of  hard  wood 
and  several  inches  thick. 

"  We're  locked  in,"  said  Larry,  with  a  groan. 
"  Now  what's  to  do  ?  " 

"  Maybe  we  can  crawl  through  one  of  the  win- 
dows," suggested  the  old  sailor.  Making  their 
way  to  the  nearest  of  these  openings  they  tried  it, 
but  without  success. 

"  We're  prisoners,"  said  the  boy.  "  I  wonder 
how  long  we  have  been  here." 

"  I  can't  say,  Larry.     It  is  still  daylight ;  that  is 


STRANDED   AMONG   STRANGERS  95 

one  satisfaction.  I  don't  believe  the  transport  will 
leave  Valetta  harbor  until  to-morrow  morning." 

From  one  window  they  went  to  another,  until 
they  found  one  where  several  of  the  bars  seemed 
to  be  loose.  With  a  strong  twist  Jack  Biddle 
brought  one  of  the  irons  from  its  fastenings. 
Using  this  as  a  lever  he  pried  off  a  second  bar  ; 
and  the  way  of  escape  was  opened. 

Coming  into  the  outer  air  at  a  spot  not  far  dis- 
tant from  the  path  leading  to  the  hotel,  they  saw 
that  they  had  been  carried  into  the  monastery  by 
Yarrow  and  his  tool.  "  It's  no  fit  place  for  sailors 
to  be  in,"  growled  Biddle.  "  I  never  want  to  see 
it  ag'in  !  "     And  Larry  agreed  with  him. 

They  had  covered  about  half  the  distance  to  the 
hotel  when  the  youth  set  up  a  sudden  shout.  "  Oh, 
Jack,  we've  slept  all  day  and  all  night  !  " 

"  What's  that  !  "  demanded  the  old  tar,  quickly. 

"This  is  not  the  same  day  —  it's  the  next  day. 
See,  the  sun  is  in  the  east,  not  the  west." 

"By  ginger,  that's  so!  "  burst  from  the  old  tar. 
"That  drug  was  more  powerful  than  I  thought." 
His  face  fell.     "Larry,  the  jig  is  up." 

"You  mean  that  the  transport  has  left  us  be- 
hind?" 


96  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Exactly." 

"  Would  those  in  charge  do  that  ? " 

"Perhaps  they  don't  know  we  are  missing  —  the 
quartermaster  wouldn't  report  the  case." 

"  To  be  sure  he  wouldn't.  But  —  but  —  I  don't 
believe  Ben  would  sail  without  me." 

"He  couldn't  help  himself  —  he's  as  much  under 
orders  as  anybody,  even  if  he  is  a  lieutenant.  Our 
only  hope  is  that  the  transport  has  been  delayed, 
for  some  reason  or  another.     Come  on." 

"  Shall  we  stop  at  the  hotel  and  inquire  about 
Yarrow  and  Possy  ?  " 

"  What  good  will  that  do  ?  No ;  the  sooner  we 
get  back  to  the  dock,  the  better." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  get  somebody  to  drive  us 
down,"  suggested  the  youth,  as  they  came  out  on 
a  road  skirting  the  hotel  property.  "That  would 
save  us  an  hour  or  two." 

"I  haven't  a  cent  to  pay  for  a  ride." 

"I  have  money  with  me.  And  here  comes  a 
turnout,  now,"  went  on  the  boy,  as  a  native  wagon 
drawn  by  a  pure  Arabian  horse  came  into  sight. 
On  the  front  seat  sat  a  dark-looking  man  dressed 
in  a  peasant's  costume.  "  Hi,  there,  stop  I  "  he 
caller1  out. 


STRANDED   AMONG   STRANGERS  97 

The  native  did  as  requested,  and  running  to 
him,  Larry  mentioned  what  was  wanted.  But  at 
this  the  man  merely  shook  his  head  and  answered 
in  a  patois  which  to  the  Americans  was  totally 
unintelligible. 

"  Here's  a  pickle  ;  he  can't  talk  English,  and  I 
can't  talk  his  language,  Jack." 

"Then  we  don't  ride  with  him,  lad." 

"  Hold  on,  I'll  try  another  plan,"  continued  the 
youth.  He  brought  a  silver  dollar  from  his  pocket. 
"Valetta,"  he  said,  pointing  to  himself  and  his 
companion,  then  to  the  carriage  and  then  to  the 
silver  piece,  which  he  thrust  forward.  Then  he 
went  through  the  motion  of  running  and  said 
Valetta  again  and  added  "Americanos." 

The  native  now  understood  and  laughed.  Jump- 
ing to  the  ground,  he  helped  them  into  the  carriage. 
"Valetta,  seiior,"  he  said,  and  hopped  back  to  his 
seat.  With  a  crack  of  a  long  whip  the  horse  was 
started  up,  and  off  they  bowled  down  a  smooth 
road  leading  straight  into  the  capital.  The  way 
was  a  pleasant  one,  lined  with  stately  trees,  shrub- 
bery, and  pretty  residences,  with  here  and  there  a 
patch  of  green  fields.  Under  other  circumstances 
Larry  would   have    enjoyed   the   ride,  but  now  he 


98  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

was  too  much  disturbed  in  mind  to  do  but  little 
excepting  to  urge  the  horse  forward  whenever  the 
steed  seemed  inclined  to  drop  into  a  walk. 

It  was  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  the  city 
was  gained  and  they  alighted  at  a  spot  near  the 
shipping.  Having  paid  the  driver,  they  turned  to 
several  English  soldiers  who  stood  near  and  who 
had  watched  their  coming  with  interest. 

"  Your  ship  sailed  about  two  hours  ago,"  said  one 
of  the  soldiers,  in  reply  to  Larry's  almost  breathless 
question.     "  So  you  were  left  behind  ?     Too  bad  !  " 

"  You  are  certain  she  has  gone  ? "  put  in  Jack 
Biddle. 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  we  fellows  saw  her  off  ourselves,  didn't 
we,  Garwick  ?  " 

"  So  we  did,  Fenton.  Yes,  she  is  gone  and  well 
out  of  sight  by  this  time." 

The  hearts  of  both  Larry  and  his  old  friend  sank 
within  them.  Here  was  "  a  state  of  things  "  truly. 
What  was  to  be  done  next? 

"  We're  stranded,  just  as  I  feared,"  said  Biddle. 
"And  I  haven't  a  cent." 

"  I've  got  three  dollars  and  a  half.  But  that  isn't 
the  thing.  We  don't  want  to  stay  here,"  rejoined 
Larry,  desperately. 


STRANDED  AMONG  STRANGERS  99 

"  We'll  have  to  stay,  seeing  that  we  can't  whistle 
the  transport  back.  But  what  we  are  to  do  here 
is  more  than  I  can  settle,  just  now." 

"I  wonder  if  there  are  any  other  American 
vessels  here  ?  " 

"  Possibly  there  are,  —  but  none  bound  for 
Manila." 

"Well,  we'll  have  to  do  something,"  groaned 
Larry. 

In  a  disconsolate  frame  of  mind  the  pair  strolled 
down  to  the  dock  where  they  had  landed  the  day 
before.  The  English  soldiers  followed  them,  offer- 
ing their  sincere  sympathy.  "We'll  take  care 
of  you,  boys,  if  nothing  better  turns  up,"  said  one. 
"You  won't  be  left  out  in  the  cold;  never  fear." 

"That  is  very  kind  of  you,"  answered  Larry, 
while  Jack  Biddle  nodded.  "  But  we  would  rather 
get  back  to  our  ship,  if  the  thing  can  be  managed." 
He  turned  suddenly  to  his  companion.  "  Our 
transport  will  have  to  stop  at  Port  Said  for  the 
necessary  papers  to  go  through  the  Suez  Canal. 
Perhaps  we  can  get  aboard  some  fast  vessel  bound 
for  that  port  and  overtake  our  ship." 

"  Creation,  Larry,  that's  an  idee  !  And  here's  an- 
other idee,"   went   on  Biddle.      "  Perhaps  we   can 


100  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

telegraph  to  Port  Said  that  we  are  safe  and  coming 
along.  If  we  do  that,  they  can't  court-martial  us  as 
deserters,  —  which  they  might  do  if  we  stayed 
here." 

"  The  thing  of  it  is,  to  find  the  ship,  Jack.  Let 
us  lose  no  time  in  making  inquiries." 

Larry  led  the  way  along  the  shipping,  and  Biddle 
followed.  A  dozen  docks  were  stopped  at,  but  the 
only  ship  they  could  find  bound  for  Port  Said  was  a 
Turkish  craft  that  was  not  to  sail  for  three  days. 

"  That  doesn't  look  encouraging  —  "  began  Larry, 
when  he  stopped  short,  as  he  saw  one  of  the  English 
soldiers  they  had  first  met,  running  toward  them. 
"What  is  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Here  is  a  chance  for  you  to  rejoin  your  ship," 
answered  the  soldier,  quickly.  "  The  steam  launch, 
Queen,  is  to  take  an  American  officer  out.  She's 
going  to  sail  at  once.     Hurry  up,  this  way  ! " 

Larry  waited  to  hear  no  more,  nor  did  Biddle,  but 
both  struck  out  after  the  Briton  with  all  speed. 
Soon  another  dock  was  gained,  at  the  foot  of  which 
lay  a  heavy  steam  launch,  ready  to  cast  off.  On  the 
deck  stood  an  American  officer  whom  Larry  recog- 
nized as  the  captain  of  one  of  the  infantry  compa- 
nies of  Ben's  regiment. 


M  Do  you  men  belong  to  quarter-master  Yarrow's  squad  ?  " — Page  ioi. 


STRANDED  AMONG   STRANGERS  101 

"  Wait  a  moment,  please  !  "  he  cried  out.  "  Are 
you  bound  for  our  transport  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  was  the  ready  reply.  "  What  is  the 
matter  with  you?" 

"  We  were  drugged  and  left  behind.  Won't  you 
kindly  take  us  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  please  take  us  along,  Captain  Alvord,"  put 
in  Jack  Biddle,  who  knew  the  officer  by  name. 
"  It's  not  our  fault  that  we  were  left  ashore." 

"  Do  you  men  belong  to  Quartermaster  Yarrow's 
squad  ?  " 

"  We  do,"  came  from  both. 

"  All  right  then,  jump  aboard."  And  as  they  did 
so,  Captain  Alvord  continued  :  "  I  was  left  ashore 
myself,  but  I  am  bound  to  get  back  to  my  command 
somehow.  It's  lucky  you  found  me  when  you  did. 
We  sail  at  once." 

The  commander  of  Company  H  was  as  good  as  his 
word,  for  inside  of  ten  minutes  the  Queen  had  left 
the  harbor  of  Valetta  behind  and  was  steaming  with 
all  swiftness  in  the  direction  which  the  United 
States  transport  was  supposed  to  have  taken. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  EXPOSURE   OF   THE   GUILTY   ONES 

My  readers  can  well  imagine  how  dismayed 
Ben  was  when  he  found  out  that  Larry  was  miss- 
ing. "  It's  too  bad  !  "  he  said,  soberly,  to  Gilbert. 
"  Now  what  has  become  of  him,  and  of  that  Jack 
Biddle,  do  you  suppose  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  can't  say,  Ben.  It's  certainly  dis- 
heartening. And  Captain  Alvord  is  missing  too. 
I  wonder  what  the  colonel  will  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Captain  Alvord  is  rich,  and  can  take  care  of  him- 
self. He  enlisted  only  for  the  glory  of  it.  But 
with  Larry  it  is  different.  Besides,  I'm  certain 
he  wouldn't  stay  behind  of  his  own  free  will." 

"  Oh,  I  know  he  wouldn't.  It's  certainly  a 
mystery." 

The  news  created  considerable  excitement  through- 
out the  transport,  and  searching  parties  "were  at  once 
despatched  to  bring  the  missing  ones  aboard,  if  they 
could  be   found.       To   divert   suspicions,    Quarter- 

102 


THE  EXPOSURE  OF  THE   GUILTY  ONES         103 

master  Yarrow  went  ashore  himself,  taking  Andy 
Possy  with  him. 

"  We'll  be  snre  to  find  them,"  muttered  the 
quartermaster,  grimly. 

The  transport  was  not  to  sail  until  ten  o'clock 
the  following  morning,  and  the  searching  parties 
remained  out  the  best  part  of  the  night,  while  others 
went  out  after  breakfast,  and  with  them  Ben  and 
Gilbert.  On  Captain  Alvord's  account  the  sailing 
was  delayed  until  after  noon. 

At  last,  however,  the  commander  in  charge  of 
the  expedition  said  he  would  wait  no  longer.  "The 
sailors  have  probably  deserted,"  he  remarked  to 
those  under  him.  Concerning  Captain  Alvord 
he  was  silent,  but  he  thought  the  rich  young  vol- 
unteer had  become  tired  of  military  life  and  taken 
"French  leave."  "He'll  skip  out  for  Italy  and 
spend  the  winter  in  Rome,  and  then  trust  to  his 
wealth  to  get  him  out  of  the  scrape,"  was  the 
commander's  comment.  He  had  heard  of  scions 
of  wealth  doing  similar  things  before.  Not  all 
those  who  obtained  commissions  from  our  govern- 
ment had  their  hearts  in  the  work. 

If  Ben  had  been  sad  before,  he  was  utterly  down- 
cast when  the  transport  sailed,  and  had  it  not  been 


104  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

for  his  high  sense  of  duty  he  would  have  deserted 
in  order  to  trace  his  younger  brother's  where- 
abouts. "  I  don't  like  this  at  all,"  he  said  to  his 
chum,  but,  much  as  he  wished  to  do  so,  Gilbert 
could  give  him  no  consolation. 

But  good  tidings  were  close  at  hand.  The 
transport  had  started  to  run  for  Port  Said  under 
a  full  head  of  steam,  but  a  slight  breakdown  in  the 
engine-room  necessitated  a  slowing  up,  and  this 
enabled  the  Queen  to  come  within  sight  before 
sundown.  In  the  meantime  Larry  and  Jack  Biddle 
had  been  treated  to  a  first-class  dinner  by  Captain 
Alvord,  who  had  listened  to  their  stories  with 
interest  and  in  return  had  made  a  most  astonishing 
revelation. 

"  The  steam  launch  is  hailing  us  !  "  was  the  cry 
that  rang  throughout  the  transport,  bringing  many 
soldiers  and  sailors  to  the  deck.  Glasses  were 
brought  into  use,  and  it  was  seen  that  the  launch 
contained  half  a  dozen  persons,  besides  an  American 
officer  and  two  sailors. 

"  It  must  be  Larry  !  "  cried  Ben.  "  As  quickly 
as  he  could,  he  got  out  his  own  glasses.  "It  is, 
and  the  others  are  Biddle  and  Captain  Alvord." 

"  Hurrah  !        Our     men     are     coming     back  !  " 


THE  EXPOSURE   OF   THE   GUILTY   ONES  106 

shouted  Gilbert,  and  the  cheer  was  taken  up  on 
all  sides.  Soon  the  launch  came  alongside,  and 
the  lost  ones  climbed  on  board  by  means  of  a 
rope  ladder.  Then  the  Queen  returned  to  Malta, 
her  captain  having  previously  been  handsomely 
paid  by  the  wealthy  American. 

When  Quartermaster  Yarrow  saw  Larry  and 
Biddle  approaching,  his  heart  sank  like  a  lump 
of  lead,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  drawing  out  of 
sight.  With  him  went  Possy,  and  both  were  as 
white  as  a  sheet. 

"The  game  is  up,  Andy,  and  you  are  caught." 

"I  reckon  it  is  you  that  is  caught,"  stammered 
the  tool,  in  astonishment  and  dismay.  "It  was 
your  plot  to  get  rid  of  'em." 

"No,  it  was  your  plot,"  growled  Yarrow.  Each 
wanted  to  shift  the  burden  to  the  other's  shoulders. 

A  hot  discussion  followed,  in  the  midst  of  which 
several  sailors  came  along  and  told  the  quarter- 
master that  he  and  the  Cat  were  wanted  in  the 
cabin.  "And  I  reckon  it  will  be  putty  warm  in 
there,"  sneered  one  of  the  seamen,  and  ran  off 
before  Yarrow  could  stop  him. 

When  the  quartermaster  and  Possy  reached 
the  cabin,  they  found  half  a  dozen  of  the  higher 


106  UNDER   OTIS  IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

officers  there,  along  with  those  who  had  just  come 
on  board. 

"  These  two  sailors  make  a  serious  charge  against 
you,  quartermaster,"  said  the  officer  in  command, 
General  Kenwood.  "  They  say  you  drugged  them, 
or  had  them  drugged  by  your  companion,  Andrew 
Possy." 

"  I  had  them  drugged  ? "  cried  Yarrow,  in  pre- 
tended surprise.  "  This  is  news  to  me.  Why 
should  I  have  them  drugged  ?  " 

"  In  order  that  they  might  be  left  behind  in  a 
strange  country,  without  money  and  without 
friends." 

"It's  fools'  talk,  sir.  Why,  I  went  out  to  hunt 
for  them,  and  so  did  Possy." 

"Russell  and  Biddle  tell  a  strange  story,  and 
this  story  is  substantiated  in  part  by  what  Cap- 
tain Alvord  saw." 

"  And  what  did  he  see  ?  " 

"  He  was  at  the  Hotel  Nelson  when  you  stopped 
there,  and  he  saw  Possy  get  the  drinks  and  put 
something  into  two  of  the  glasses  —  those  un- 
doubtedly given  to  Russell  and  Biddle." 

"I  had  nothing  to  do  with  that,  sir.  If  Possy 
did  anything  of  the  kind,  he  did  it  on  his  own 
account.     I  —  " 


THE   EXPOSURE   OF   THE   GUILTY   ONES  107 

"  I  didn  t  do  anything  on  my  own  account," 
burst  out  the  tool,  in  terror,  and  anxious  to  clear 
his  own  record.  "  Whatever  I  did  was  done  by 
Quartermaster  Yarrow's  orders." 

"  And  what  did  you  do  ?  " 

Andy  Possy  hesitated  and  looked  first  at  Gen- 
eral Kenwood,  then  at  his  two  accusers,  and  then 
at  his  companion  in  crime.  "I  — "  he  began, 
when  the  quartermaster  cut  him  short. 

"  Don't  tell  any  falsehoods  about  me,"  burst  out 
Yarrow.     "I  won't  stand  it." 

"I  ain't  going  to  get  into  trouble  for  nothin'," 
returned  Possy.  "The  —  a  —  the  stuff  I  put  into 
the  glasses  was  —  er  —  medicine  that  the  quarter- 
master gave  me." 

"  It's  not  true.  I  positively  gave  him  nothing," 
shouted  Yarrow,  red  in  the  face. 

"  Quartermaster,  you  will  keep  quiet  while  Possy 
tells  his  story,"  interposed  General  Kenwood, 
sternly. 

"Yes,  but  see  here,  general — " 

"Not  another  word,  or  I  will  have  the  sergeant- 
at-arms  place  you  under  arrest." 

At  these  words  the  quartermaster  staggered  back. 
He  wanted  to  say  something  more,  but  the  words 


108  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

died  away  on  his  lips.  Then  the  general  in  charge 
turned  to  Possy. 

The  tool  was  "badly  rattled,"  to  use  a  popular 
phrase,  and  for  several  seconds  could  say  but  little. 
Then  the  story  he  told  was  so  improbable  that 
nobody  believed  him.  Upon  a  cross-examination 
he  broke  down  utterly. 

"  General,  don't  be  hard  on  me,  and  I'll  tell  you 
everything,"  he  whined,  and  then  gave  a  fairly 
clear  statement  of  facts,  leaving  out  only  that  he 
had  suggested  the  drugging  to  Yarrow. 

While  Possy  was  talking,  two  sailors  came  in, 
and  word  was  passed  to  General  Kenwood  that 
they  had  something  important  to  say. 

"  "Well,  what  is  it,  my  man  ?  "  asked  the  general, 
as  soon  as  he  had  finished  with  the  Cat,  as  he 
turned  to  one  of  the  newcomers. 

"If  you  please,  sir,  we  just  heard  the  quarter- 
master and  Possy  quarrelling,"  answered  one  of 
the  tars.  "  Each  was  blaming  the  other  for  what 
they  had  done." 

"Tell  me  what  was  said." 

The  sailor  did  so,  as  nearly  as  he  could  remem- 
ber, and  the  second  tar  corroborated  his  story.  This 
tallied  very  nearly  with  what  Possy  had  confessed, 


THE   EXPOSURE   OF   THE    GUILTY    ONES  109 

and  in  the  minds  of  all  there  was  no  longer  any 
doubt  but  that  Quartermaster  Yarrow  and  the  sly 
one  were  equally  guilty. 

As  soon  as  this  was  made  clear  the  cabin  was 
vacated  by  all  but  General  Kenwood  and  the  other 
officers  and  the  guilty  ones.  The  commandant  of 
the  expedition  then  turned  to  the  man  who  had 
had  charge  of  the  sailors. 

"  Quartermaster  Yarrow,  you  have  been  guilty  of 
a  grave  crime,"  he  said  sternly.  "  You  have  tried 
to  get  two  of  our  sailors  into  trouble,  and  but  for 
a  lucky  accident  to  a  carriage  whereby  Captain 
Alvord  was  detained  at  Malta,  these  sailors  would 
have  been  left  behind,  in  a  strange  land,  without 
money  or  without  friends,  and  with  the  word 
'  Deserted '  written  after  each  name  on  the  muster- 
roll.  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  try  you  by  court- 
martial,  leaving  that  to  the  naval  authorities  when 
we  arrive  at  Manila,  but  in  the  meantime  I  shall 
place  you  under  arrest." 

"  Arrest !  "  gasped  Yarrow. 

"Yes,  arrest;  and  I  shall,  moreover,  strip  you 
of  all  insignia  of  rank.  You,  in  my  individual 
opinion,  are  not  fit  to  wear  the  stripes  of  a  quarter- 
master." 


110  UNDER    OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  Well,  if  you  arrest  me,  who  is  going  to  com- 
mand the  sailors  ?  " 

"  The  next  to  you  in  rank." 

"There  doesn't  happen  to  be  any."  Quarter- 
master Yarrow  bit  his  lip.  "I  guess  you  had 
better  leave  me  in  charge  until  we  get  to  Manila, 
general.  I  don't  know  as  this  proceeding  is  regu- 
lar.    Your  authority  is  only  over  the  soldiers." 

" '  And   over   all   others    taking    passage   on    the 
transport,' "    returned    General    Kenwood,    quoting 
from  his  orders,  and  at  the  same  time  pointing  to 
the  line  in  question.     "If  there  is  no  other  officer 
among   you,  I  will  place  the  oldest  sailor  in  com- 
mand, providing  he  seems  competent." 
"  Why,  the  oldest  sailor  is  Jack  Biddle !  " 
"Indeed!     Then  I  must  have  a  talk  with  him." 
"  You  would  put  him  in  my  place  ?  "  cried  Yarrow, 
bitterly.     The  blow  was  almost  too  much  for  him. 
"  And  why  not,  if  his  record  is  a  clean  one  ? " 
"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  me?" 
"  Place  you  on  your  good  behavior  until  we  reach 
Manila." 

"  And  will  you  do  the  same  with  me  ? "  put  in 
Possy,  eagerly.  He  had  had  a  vision  of  six  or  eight 
weeks  in  a  hot  brig,  on  prison  diet. 


THE  EXPOSURE   OF   THE   GUILTY   ONES  111 

"Will  you  promise  to  behave  yourself?" 

"I  will,  sir." 

"Very  well,  I  will  let  you  go  at  that.  But  re- 
member," added  General  Kenwood,  impressively, 
"I  shall  keep  an  eye  on  both  of  you,  and  at  the 
least  sign  of  wrongdoing  your  liberty  shall  be  cut 
off.  And  another  thing:  if  this  transport  makes 
any  more  stops,  both  of  you  are  to  remain  aboard 
ship." 

"I  can't  go  ashore?"  questioned  Yarrow. 

"No;  both  of  you  must  remain  aboard  until  I 
place  you  in  Admiral  Dewey's  charge." 

With  these  words  the  quartermaster  and  his 
former  tool  were  dismissed,  —  to  get  into  a  quarrel 
of  words  and  blows  later  on.  Each  punished  the 
other  quite  severely,  and  for  a  week  after  Yarrow 
walked  around  with  a  swollen  nose,  while  Possy 
wore  a  black  patch  over  his  left  eye.  But  neither 
said  anything  of  the  encounter,  fearful  that  close 
confinement  would  follow. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THROUGH  THE  SUEZ  CANAL  TO  THE  RED  SEA 

"I've  news  for  you,  Jack.  You  are  to  com- 
mand our  party  after  this.  I  just  got  the  word 
from  Captain  Alvord,  who  received  it  from  General 
Kenwood." 

"Me  command?"  cried  the  old  tar.  "Why, 
how's  that?" 

"There  are  no  officers  beside  Yarrow,  and  you 
are  the  oldest  sailor.  Allow  me  to  congratulate 
you,  Commander  Biddle." 

"  Well,  by  creation  !  "  ejaculated  Biddle.  "  This 
gits  me,  Larry.  Why,  I  never  did  any  command- 
ing before." 

"No,  but  you'll  be  all  right,  Jack.  Now,  be 
sure  and  make  us  toe  the  mark." 

Biddle's  face  took  on  a  comical  look.  "All 
right,  if  I  must,  I  must,  an'  there's  an  end  on't," 
he  returned.  "  But  this  knocks  me,  yes,  it  does. 
Won't  Yarrow  be  glad  to  know  it !  " 

112 


THROUGH  THE  SUEZ  CANAL  TO  THE  RED  SEA   113 

"  He  and  Possy  are  to  have  their  liberty  until 
we  reach  Manila.  We  must  keep  our  eyes  open 
and  watch  them." 

"  Right  you  are,  lad.  No  more  funny  work 
around  Jack  Biddle.  After  this  I'll  make  sure  of 
what  I  am  drinking." 

Soon  after  this  General  Kenwood  came  to  see 
the  sailors  and  to  have  a  talk  with  Biddle,  after 
which  the  old  tar  called  his  new  command  together 
and  put  them  through  a  drill  for  the  military 
man's  benefit.  Biddle  was  really  an  excellent 
man-o'-war's  man  and  deserved  an  office  more 
than  Yarrow  did,  and  General  Kenwood  expressed 
himself  well  satisfied  with  the  new  order  of  things. 
Both  Yarrow  and  Possy  tried  to  get  out  of  sight, 
but  this  was  not  allowed,  and  the  ex-quartermaster 
and  his  tool  were  made  to  drill  with  the  others, 
much  to  the  former's  disgust. 

The  transport  was  now  running  directly  for 
Port  Said,  which  is  situated  at  the  northern 
entrance  to  the  Suez  Canal.  As  a  whole  the 
weather  was  delightful,  although  it  rained  several 
times.  But  the  cold  wave  which  had  been  en- 
countered on  the  Atlantic  was  a  thing  of  the  past, 
even  though  it  was  drawing  close  to  Christmas. 


114  UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"I'd  like  to  know  something  about  the  Suez 
Canal,"  remarked  Larry.  "  I  know  it  connects  the 
Mediterranean  with  the  Red  Sea,  and  that  Port 
Said  is  at  one  end  and  Suez  at  the  other,  and  that 
is  all  I  do  know.  Of  course  it  is  not  such  a  canal 
as  we  have  in  New  York  State  and  elsewhere." 

"Hardly,"  said  Gilbert,  to  whom  he  was  speak- 
ing. "I  was  reading  up  on  the  point.  This 
canal  is  eighty-five  miles  long,  and  is  cut  through 
sand  and  almost  solid  rock.  The  average  width  is 
three  hundred  feet  at  the  top  and  seventy-five  feet 
at  the  bottom,  and  the  water  is  supposed  to  be 
from  twenty-six  to  thirty  feet  deep.  Each  end  is 
extended  out  into  the  sea  for  a  long  distance,  to 
keep  the  channel  from  filling  up,  big  stone  walls 
being  built  for  that  purpose." 

"  Such  a  canal  must  have  cost  a  lot  of  money, 
Gilbert." 

"  Something  like  fifty  million  dollars  — ■  and  it 
keeps  on  costing  a  good  bit  each  year  for  repairs 
and  the  like.  But  even  so,  it's  a  good  investment, 
for  lots  of  ships  use  this  canal  in  preference  to  sail- 
ing around  the  southern  coast  of  Africa,  and  of 
course  everybody  who  goes  through  has  to  pay." 

"  Do  you  know  what  they  charge  ?  "  put  in  Ben, 


THROUGH  THE  SUEZ  CANAL  TO  THE  RED  SEA   115 

who  was  as  much  interested  in  the  subject  as  any 
one. 

"  For  boats  the  charge  is  ten  francs  per  ton  and 
for  passengers  ten  francs  per  head." 

"  Let  me  see  ;  a  franc  is  about  nineteen  cents,  so 
the  rate  of  fare  for  each  of  us  will  be  one  dollar  and 
ninety  cents.  As  we  are  carrying  over  sixteen  hun- 
dred soldiers  and  sailors  that  will  mean  over  three 
thousand  dollars  to  the  canal  company,  —  not  to 
speak  of  what  the  captain  will  have  to  pay  for  the 
vessel.     No  wonder  the  canal  is  a  good  thing." 

"  Yes,  but  even  if  it  costs  five  or  six  thousand 
dollars  to  get  through,  that  is  cheaper  than  going 
around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  said  Gilbert.  He 
paused  for  a  moment,  "Do  you  fellows  know  that 
when  we  reach  Port  Said  we'll  be  close  to  Palestine 
and  only  two  or  three  hundred  miles  from  Jerusa- 
lem?" 

"  I'd  like  to  spend  Christmas  there  ! "  cried  Larry. 

"  So  should  I,"  rejoined  Ben.  "  A  Christmas  in 
Jerusalem  would  be  something  to  talk  about  when 
a  fellow  got  home  again."  His  face  grew  sober. 
"  But  we  are  on  a  different  mission  now,  and  must 
do  our  duty,  'rendering  unto  Caesar  what  is 
Caesar's ' ;  "  and  there  the  talk  dropped. 


116  UNDER  OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

Before  the  canal  had  been  built  Port  Said  had 
been  a  village  of  small  importance,  but  now  it  was  a 
city  of  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  and  when  the 
transport  glided  into  the  harbor,  our  boys  were 
astonished  at  the  shipping  assembled  there,  the  water 
being  a  regular  forest  of  masts  and  smoke-stacks. 
The  transj»ort  remained  at  Port  Said  but  four  hours, 
and  then  started  for  Suez  at  speed  of  six  knots  an 
hour,  faster  travelling  by  steam  being  prohibited. 

"What  a  dreary  stretch  of  country,"  was  Ben's 
remark,  as  he  surveyed  a  wide  expanse  of  sand. 
"  And  how  hot  it  looks." 

"  They  have  very  little  rain  here,"  answered  an 
officer  who  had  visited  the  vicinity  before.  "  Some- 
times they  don't  have  a  storm  in  one  or  two 
years." 

"  And  what  do  they  do  for  drinking  water  ?  " 

"  They  have  a  fresh-water  canal  extending  from 
the  River  Nile  to  Temsah  Lake,  close  by  here.  But 
lots  of  folks  suffer  inland,  nevertheless." 

"That  wouldn't  suit  me.  I'd  rather  live  in  the 
United  States." 

"  No  better  country,  my  lad,  and  you'll  find  it  so, 
even  if  you  rove  the  world  over,"  replied  the  officer, 
earnestly. 


THROUGH  THE   SUEZ  CAFAL  TO  THE  EED   SEA      117 

At  Suez  the  prospect  was  no  better  than  inland. 
The  walled  city,  inhabited  by  Egyptians,  English, 
French,  and  many  other  people,  lay  in  a  very  desert 
of  sand  which  seemed  to  glow  like  molten  lead  even 
in  this  December  sun.  Beyond  was  the  Gulf  of 
Suez,  leading  directly  into  the  Red  Sea. 

"We're  in  the  land  of  sand,"  observed  Larry. 
"  No  Arabian  or  Egyptian  life  for  me,  —  although 
I  shouldn't  mind  spending  a  little  time  in  the  Holy 
Land,  looking  around." 

The  Gulf  of  Suez  left  behind,  the  transport 
headed  directly  down  the  Red  Sea,  past  Suakin 
and  other  points  of  more  or  less  importance,  to 
the  Straits  of  Bab-el-Mandeb  and  the  Gulf  of 
Aden,  a  journey  of  over  a  thousand  miles. 

"  Merry  Christmas  ! "  was  the  greeting  which 
went  the  round  one  clear  morning,  just  before  the 
straits  were  reached.  "  And  how  do  you  like 
Christmas  in  the  summer  time  ?  " 

"It  feels  mighty  queer,"  said  Ben.  "This  is 
more  like  Decoration  Day  weather.  I  wonder  if 
they  ever  had  any  snow  here." 

"  I  don't  believe  so,"  answered  Gilbert.  "  But 
they  have  sandstorms,  and  they  are  more  cutting 
than  snow  and  hail  combined." 


118  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

It  was  "  a  green  Christmas  without  greens,"  as 
Jack  Biddle  put  it,  yet  both  soldiers  and  sailors 
managed  to  amuse  themselves  in  various  ways. 
Early  in  the  morning  there  was  a  church  service 
for  those  who  cared  to  attend,  and  at  noon  Gen- 
eral Kenwood  astonished  and  delighted  all  hands 
by  giving  them  a  turkey  and  cranberry  sauce  din- 
ner—  something  nobody  had  dreamed  of  getting. 
Bags  of  nuts  and  fruit  from  Suez,  not  to  mention 
extra  large  Arabian  dates,  were  also  forthcoming, 
and  in  the  afternoon  pretty  much  all  discipline 
was  relaxed,  and  the  band  gave  a  concert  of  popu- 
lar  airs. 

"  We're  not  so  badly  off,"  remarked  Mark  Olney. 
"  I  wouldn't  mind  spending  another  Christmas  like 
this." 

"  Sure  an'  at  this  rate  I  wouldn't  be  afther 
mindin'  Christmas  twict  a  year,"  put  in  Dan  Casey. 
"  I  niver  had  so  many  good  things  before  in  me 
life !  " 

"  Ton't  you  vos  eat  too  much,  or  maybe  you  vos 
die  of  indigestion,"  said  Carl  Stummer,  with  his 
mouth  full  of  mince  pie.  "Dake  your  time  like  I 
vos  do." 

"  Take  me  time  !  "  roared  Casey.     "  Sure  an'  it's 


THROUGH  THE  SUEZ  CANAL  TO  THE  RED  SEA   119 

yourself  as  is  try  in'  to  ate  a  whole  pie  to  onct. 
Stummer,  if  yez  don't  look  out  yez  will  get  so  fat 
the  gineral  will  make  yez  run  on  ahead  av  the 
regiment  an'  fall  down  for  a  breastworks  whin  the 
inimy  appears  !  "    And  at  this  sally  a  laugh  went  up. 

"Why  do  they  call  this  sea  Red?"  asked  Larry, 
some  time  later. 

"  That's  a  disputed  question,"  answered  Gilbert. 
"Some  say  from  the  red  coral  and  rocks  to  be 
found  here,  and  others  say  from  the  seaweed  that 
at  times  gives  it  something  of  that  color.  The 
Greeks  called  it  the  Red  Sea  from  the  earliest 
times.  Do  you  notice  how  carefully  we  are  run- 
ning? That's  because  of  the  coral  reefs.  They 
bother  even  the  native  pilots." 

"  So  we  are  coming  to  '  India's  coral  strand '  ?  " 
quoted  Larry.  "Well,  I'll  not  be  sorry  when  we 
strike  the  Indian  Ocean  and  steam  direct  for  the 
Philippines.  But  we  have  still  six  or  seven  thou- 
sand miles  to  go." 

"I  want  to  get  on  land  —  among  the  soldiers 
around  Manila,"  said  Ben.  "I  wish  we  could 
get  news  from  there." 

"  One  or  two  of  the  officers  got  papers  at  Port 
Said  —  English  publications. " 


120  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Yes,  but  the  news  in  them  was  most  unsatis- 
factory, simply  stating  that  both  sides  at  Manila 
seemed  to  be  playing  a  waiting  game." 

"Well,  we'll  know  all  about  it  in  a  few  weeks 
more,"  rejoined  Gilbert.  "Perhaps  we'll  get  news 
at  Colombo,  on  the  island  of  Ceylon,  if  we  stop 
there,  —  or  at  Singapore." 

The  run  through  the  Gulf  of  Aden  into  the 
Indian  Ocean,  or,  more  properly  perhaps,  the  Ara- 
bian Sea,  was  made  without  particular  incident. 
They  were  now  down  to  only  ten  degrees 
above  the  equator,  and  New  Year's  Day  proved  a 
"scorcher,"  to  use  Ben's  term  of  expressing  it. 
The  only  times  that  it  was  cool  were  early  in  the 
morning  and  late  in  the  evening.  During  the 
midday  hours  the  sun  beat  down  so  fiercely  that 
nobody  thought  of  going  on  the  unprotected  por- 
tions of  the  spar  deck  unless  it  was  absolutely 
necessary.  Everywhere  the  transport  began  to 
smell  of  tar,  which  oozed  from  all  the  outer  seams. 

"  We're  in  the  tropics  now,"  said  Larry.  "  It 
puts  me  in  mind  of  life  on  the  old  Columbia. 
How  do  you  like  it?" 

"  Oh,  I  guess  I'll  get  used  to  it,"  answered  the 
panting  Ben,  who  sat  in  what  was  supposed  to  be 


THROUGH  THE  SUEZ  CANAL  TO  THE  RED  SEA   121 

a  cool  passageway,  fanning  himself.  "I  trust  it 
isn't  much  worse  in  Manila-  If  it  is,  I  don't  see 
how  our  boys  are  going  to  stand  much  marching 
in  the  sun." 

"  How  about  a  campaign  inland  ?  "  questioned 
Gilbert.     "  This  beats  Cuba,  eh  ?  " 

"Indeed  it  does,  Gilbert.  You  can  thank  your 
stars  that  you  were  born  down  South." 

"I  suppose  I  can.  Of  course  I  feel  warm,  but 
I  don't  think  I  am  half  as  uncomfortable  as 
you." 

"Sure  an'  I  could  slape  in  a  tub  av  ice-water," 
remarked  Casey,  loud  enough  for  all  to  hear. 
"  Carl,  phwat  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  vos  chust  dinking  apout  dem  natives,"  an- 
swered the  German  volunteer.  "I  ton't  vonder 
da  vos  tress  in  noddings  put  der  lightest  kloding. 
I  dink  I  vos  drow  half  of  mine  outfit  oferpoard 
pef  ore  long,  hey  ?  " 

A  gentle  southeast  wind  had  been  blowing,  but 
toward  nightfall  this  died  out  utterly,  leaving 
the  air  stifling.  "No  sleep  to-night,"  grumbled 
Ben. 

"No,  I  don't  think  we  shall  sleep  much,"  an- 
swered  Larry,   who   had    been    studying   the   sky. 


122  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"Boys,  you  are  going  to  have  a  big  shaking  up 
before  morning." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Gilbert. 

"I  mean  that  there  is  a  storm  coming  up,  and, 
most  likely,  it  will  be  a  regular  hurricane." 


CHAPTER   XIII 

A   HURRICANE   ON   THE  INDIAN   OCEAN 

Larry  was  right;  a  hurricane  was  on  the  way, 
and  it  struck  the  transport  shortly  before  mid- 
night. The  wind  whistled  along  the  upper  deck 
and  through  the  rigging,  and  the  rain  came  down 
in  torrents,  finding  its  way  into  every  opening. 

"  It's  a  corker,"  remarked  Gilbert,  as  he  tried 
in  vain  to  stand  upright.  "  It  feels  to  me  as  if  the 
ship  was  going  over." 

"  What  must  such  a  storm  be  in  a  sailing-ves- 
sel?" remarked  Ben.  "Larry  has  been  through 
them  —  when  he  first  sailed  on  the  Pacific  and  the 
China  Sea." 

The  sailors,  of  course,  did  not  mind  it  so  much, 
many  of  them  being  accustomed  to  just  as  heavy 
storms,  but  among  the  soldiers  there  was  at  times 
almost  a  panic,  as  scores  of  them  went  headlong, 
slipping  and  sliding  in  all  directions. 

"  Sure  an'  it's  worse  nor  a  fellow  learnin'  to 
123 


124  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

skate ! "  gasped  Dan  Casey,  as  he  clung  to  the 
iron  uprights  of  his  cot-hammock.  "  Talk  about 
layin'  down !  Sure,  an'  I'll  be  layin'  down  in  a 
minit,  —  look  out !  "  And  as  the  ship  took  another 
pitch,  his  grasp  loosened  and  away  he  went  down 
the  passageway,  to  bring  up  feet  first  into  Stum- 
mer's  stomach ;  and  both  went  down  in  a  heap  and 
rolled  over. 

"  Vot  for  you  done  dot  ? "  gasped  the  German 
volunteer,  as  soon  as  he  could  disengage  himself 
and  catch  his  breath.  "Do  you  dink  dis  vos  a 
circus  tent,  Dan?" 

"Sure,  an'  that's  phwat  it  is,  Carl,  me  b'y,  wid 
us  as  the  acrobats.  Here  ye  are  ag'in ! "  And 
once  more  Casey  went  down.  Carl  tried  to  run 
off,  but  simply  collided  with  Ben,  who  grasped  him 
by  the  collar  and  gave  him  a  fresh  start  on  his 
course.  In  another  moment  there  was  another 
mix-up  with  a  dozen  participants,  while  Ben  and 
Gilbert   endeavored  to  withdraw  to  safer  quarters. 

"  I  hope  we  are  in  no  danger  of  striking  on  the 
rocks,"  remarked  the  Southerner.  "It  wouldn't 
be  pleasant  to  be  wrecked  out  here." 

"  There  are  no  rocks  anywhere  around,"  came 
in  Larry's  voice,  and  both   turned,  to   behold   the 


A  HURRICANE  ON  THE  INDIAN   OCEAN        125 

young  sailor  approaching,  wet  to  the  skin.  "  I 
just  came  from  the  deck.  I  can  tell  you  it's  a 
grand  sight.  The  whole  sea  is  almost  as  white  as 
whipped  cream." 

"You  be  careful  or  you'll  go  overboard,"  re- 
turned Ben,  by  way  of   caution. 

"  Oh,  I'm  used  to  this  sort  of  thing,  you  know," 
was  the  quick  reply.  "Jack  Biddle  came  up  with 
me.  He  said  the  storm  made  him  feel  more  like 
himself  than  anything  that  had  happened  since  we 
left  home." 

So  far  there  had  been  but  little  lightning  and 
thunder,  but  now  the  fury  of  the  elements  in- 
creased, and  there  came  a  crash  that  caused  many 
a  heart  to  jump  with  fright.  "  Talk  about  can- 
nonading," remarked  Gilbert,  "it  couldn't  hold  a 
candle  to  this  noise.  Phew !  There  she  goes 
again ! "  he  added,  as  a  vivid  flash  lit  up  the 
semi-dark  apartment.  He  was  about  to  say  more, 
but  the  roar  of  the  thunder  drowned  out  every 
other  sound. 

"  Larry,  where  are  you  ? "  It  was  the  voice  of 
Jack  Biddle.     "  Larry  Russell !  " 

"  Here  I  am,  Jack,"  answered  the  young  sailor, 
coming  forward.     "  What  is  wanted  ?  " 


126  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"I  was  afraid  you  had  been  lost  overboard," 
returned  the  old  sailor.  "  I  couldn't  find  you  on' 
deck." 

"I  am  safe  enough,  Jack.  The  storm  seems 
to  be  getting  worse." 

"  So  it  is,  and  we'll  be  lucky  if  we  ain't  thrown 
on  our  beam  ends.  Phew,  how  hot  it  is  down 
here !  " 

"  I'm  going  on  deck  again.     "Will  you  come  ?  " 

"In  a  few  minutes  —  just  as  soon  as  I  get  my 
wind.  But  be  careful,  lad.  You  don't  want  to 
go  overboard  —  as  you  did  on  that  trip  you  were 
tellin'  me  about." 

"No  fear  —  I've  got  my  eyes  too  wide  open," 
was  the  reply,  and  Larry  ran  off  and  up  the  stairs 
to  what  had  once  been  the  upper  saloon  of  the 
steamer.  Here  he  paused  to  look  through  the 
glass  of  a  small  window  which  had  been  left  when 
the  steamer  was  fitted  up  as  an  army  transport. 

As  Larry  gazed  out,  a  brilliant  and  lasting  flash 
of  lightning  lit  up  the  whole  firmament,  making 
the  scene  on  the  outer  deck  almost  as  bright  as 
day. 

"  Goodness  gracious  !  "  burst  from  the  youth's 
lips.      A   sight   had  met   his   gaze   that   held   him 


A  HURBICANE   ON  THE  INDIAN   OCEAN        127 

almost  spellbound.  Out  on  the  deck,  close  to  the 
rail,  two  men  were  fighting.  The  men  were  Quar- 
termaster Yarrow  and  Andy  Possy. 

"They'll  both  go  overboard,"  thought  the  boy. 
"  Hi !  stop  that !  "  he  cried,  and  ran  out  toward 
the  pair.     "This  is  no  place  to  quarrel." 

The  men  did  not  hear  him,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  they  would  have  paid  any  attention  if  they  had. 
Both  were  in  a  perfect  rage,  and  as  Larry  came 
closer  Yarrow  caught  Possy  by  the  throat  and 
ran  him  up  against  the  rail. 

"Now  we'll  settle  matters,"  the  youth  heard  the 
petty  officer  ejaculate.  "You  are  the  cause  of 
all  of  our  troubles." 

"  Let  —  let  up !  "  came  from  Possy,  in  a  choked 
voice.     "  Le  — let  up  !  " 

"I  will  not,  Possy,  until  you  promise  to  go 
before  General  Kenwood  and  take  that  affair  en- 
tirely on  your  own  shoulders.  I  am  not  going  to 
stand  a  court-martialling  when  we  get  to  Manila." 

"  I  won't  do  it ! "  screamed  Andy  Possy,  and 
with  a  dexterous  twist  he  tore  himself  loose  and 
started  to  run.  But  Yarrow  caught  him  a  second 
time,  and  both  fell  up  against  the  cabin  as  the 
transport  rolled  to  port. 


128  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Hold  on  for  your  lives ! "  came  from  Larry, 
as  he  clung  to  an  iron  brace  which  was  handy. 
"  Hold  hard ! "  And  as  another  plunge  of  the 
vessel  threw  Yarrow  against  him  he  caught  the 
quartermaster  by  the  arm.  But  the  grip  did  not 
hold,  and  Yarrow  slipped  away  in  the  darkness. 
In  the  meantime  Possy  had  disappeared. 

"  He  has  gone  overboard !  "  thought  the  youth, 
and  peered  over  into  the  black  waters.  Seeing 
nothing,  he  waited  for  the  next  flash  of  lightning, 
but  it  revealed  nothing. 

"Larry,  we  had  better  go  in."  It  was  Jack 
Biddle's  voice,  and  the  youth  turned  to  see  the 
tar  just  behind  him. 

"  Did  you  see  that,  Jack  ?  " 

"That?     What?" 

"The  fight  between  Yarrow  and  Possy.  Possy 
has  disappeared;  I  think  he  went  overboard." 

"  What !     And  where  is  the  quartermaster  ?  " 

"  There  he  goes  below." 

"And  you  are  certain  Possy  went  over  the 
side?" 

"  He  disappeared  somewhere,  and  he  didn't  go 
below,  either.  Yes,  we  had  better  go  down.  This 
is  the  worst  blow  I've  seen  yet." 


A  HURRICANE  ON  THE  INDIAN   OCEAN        129 

They  repaired  to  their  quarters,  to  find  Yarrow 
sitting  in  a  corner,  watching  those  around  him 
from  the  corners  of  his  keen  black  eyes. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  question  him  about 
Possy,"  said  Jack  Biddle,  but  Larry  hauled  him 
back. 

"  No  —  wait  awhile ;  perhaps  Possy  will  turn  up, 
after  all,"  said  the  boy. 

They  kept  a  strict  watch,  and  thus  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night  wore  away.  With  the  com- 
ing of  daylight  the  storm  abated,  and  by  ten 
o'clock  the  sun  was  shining  as  brightly  as  ever. 
But  the  sea  was  "choppy,"  and  did  not  calm 
down  until  twenty-four  hours  later. 

"If  Possy  is  around,  he  ought  to  turn  up  at 
mess-call,"  remarked  Biddle.  But  the  sailor  was 
gone,  and  all  on  board  were  forced  to  believe  that 
he  had  lost  his  life  in  the  hurricane.  Immediately 
after  breakfast,  Biddle  called  Yarrow  aside. 

"You  were  fighting  with  Possy  last  night,"  he 
began. 

"  It's  false  !  "  roared  the  quartermaster.  "  He  at- 
tacked me,  and  I  defended  myself."  He  clenched 
his  fists.  "Don't  say  I'm  responsible  for  his  loss. 
I've  got  troubles  enough  already  without  that." 


130  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  But  he  wouldn't  have  gone  overboard  if  you  two 
hadn't  fought,"  insisted  Larry,  who  was  present. 

"  See  here,  you  keep  your  mouth  shut ! "  an- 
swered the  disgraced  one,  in  a  passion.  "  He 
attacked  me,  and  I  defended  myself.  If  he  fell 
overboard,  it  was  afterward." 

There  was  a  painful  pause,  and  Jack  Bid- 
die  looked  from  Larry  to  the  quartermaster.  "I 
reckon  I'll  report,  anyhow,"  said  the  old  tar,  and 
lost  no  time  in  doing  so.  Later  on,  General  Ken- 
wood held  an  examination,  and  the  upshot  of  the 
matter  was  that  Quartermaster  Yarrow  was  de- 
prived of  his  liberty  and  consigned  to  the  brig, 
"for  fighting  and  for  disgraceful  conduct  gen- 
erally," as  the  report  had  it.  It  may  be  as  well 
to  add  here  that  Andy  Possy  was  never  heard  of 
again,  and  probably  was  drowned. 

"  I  am  glad  Yarrow  has  been  placed  in  close 
confinement,"  said  Larry.  "  He  is  a  thoroughly 
bad  man,  and  every  time  he  came  near  me  he 
gave  me  the  creeps.  Perhaps  he  didn't  help 
Possy  overboard,  but  I  guess  he  was  equal  to  it." 

"  Such  men  are  better  out  of  the  service  than 
in,"  answered  Ben.  "It  is  a  great  pity  Uncle 
Sam  is  hampered  with  them." 


A  HURRICANE  ON  THE  INDIAN   OCEAN        131 

The  course  of  the  transport  was  now  southeast, 
for  the  southern  point  of  the  island  of  Ceylon. 
Day  after  day  sped  by  without  special  incident, 
and  soldiers  and  sailors  hardly  knew  how  to  put 
in  their  time,  and  many  were  the  games  and  other 
amusements  played  and  devised.  Among  other 
things  the  soldiers  proceeded  to  publish  a  daily 
paper,  called  the  Haversack,  in  which  all  sorts  of 
personal  articles  were  inserted,  much  to  every- 
body's amusement.  This  paper  was  printed  on  a 
typewriter  belonging  to  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment and  then  duplicated  on  a  patented  copying 
machine.  Among  the  sailors,  yarn  spinning  went 
on  constantly. 

"If  I  remember  rightly,  Ceylon  is  noted  for  its 
teas,"  remarked  Gilbert,  when  they  were  approach- 
ing that  island.  "  I  should  like  to  see  a  tea  plan- 
tation and  watch  them  gather  the  crop  and  prepare 
it  for  the  market." 

"  All  of  the  islands  around  here  are  noted  for 
something,"  put  in  Ben.  "  After  we  pass  Ceylon 
we'll  steer  directly  for  Sumatra,  where  they  grow  the 
celebrated  Sumatra  tobacco,  —  used  for  cigar  wrap- 
pers. Just  south  of  that  is  Java,  and  I  guess  there 
isn't  anybody  who  hasn't  heard  of  Java  coffee." 


132  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Yes,  and  then  there  are  all  the  spice  islands," 
broke  in  Larry.  "  And  the  Philippines,  celebrated 
for  their  Manila  hemp,  used  in  rope  and  paper 
making,  —  and  their  rice  and  sugar  plantations." 

"  I  met  a  man  in  New  York  who  said  the 
Philippines  were  rich  in  minerals,"  said  the  young 
Southerner.  "  As  soon  as  this  difficulty  out  here 
is  settled,  he  is  coming  out  to  locate  some  mines 
and  start  a  mining  company.  I  should  like  to 
uncover  a  gold  mine  myself." 

"  I  don't  believe  you'll  find  much  gold,  Gilbert," 
answered  Ben.  "  But  there  may  be  other  minerals 
—  copper  and  the  like  —  and  maybe  silver.  One 
thing  is  certain,  the  islands  are  a  rich  possession, 
both  from  an  agricultural  and  a  mining  stand- 
point. But  nothing  can  be  done  until  the  rebels 
are  subdued  and  a  good  government  is  estab- 
lished." 

"And  until  the  natives  are  taught  how  to 
work,"  finished  Larry.  "  If  those  in  the  interior 
are  as  savage  as  I've  heard,  they  certainly  know 
little  of  the  use  of  a  shovel  and  a  spade,  or  a  saw 
and  a  hammer,  and  those  are  the  tools  that  count, 
when  it  comes  to  real  civilization." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  PHILIPPINE   ISLANDS   AND   GENEBAL 
AGOTNALDO 

On  the  second  day  after  the  conversation  just 
recorded,  Point  de  Galle,  the  most  southerly  ex- 
tremity of  Ceylon,  was  passed  on  the  port  bow. 
The  weather  was  extremely  clear,  and  those  pos- 
sessing glasses  could  make  out  the  distant  moun- 
tains quite  plainly.  The  course  was  now  due  east, 
for  the  Strait  of  Malacca,  which  separates  the 
island  of  Sumatra  from  the  Malay  Peninsula. 

"  Now  we  are  coming  to  the  Dutch  East  Indies," 
remarked  Gilbert.  "You  know  Sumatra,  Borneo, 
Java,  and  the  other  little  islands  all  belong  to 
Holland." 

"  But  the  little  island  of  Singapore  doesn't  be- 
long to  Holland,"  answered  Ben.  "  That  is  Eng- 
lish. I  wonder  if  we  shall  stop  at  the  capital.  I'd 
like  to  take  another  walk  out  into  the  country  — 
as  we  did  at  Malta." 

133 


134  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  And  get  eaten  up  by  a  tiger,"  said  Larry.  "  I 
was  reading  that  about  three  hundred  natives  are 
carried  off  annually  by  these  fierce  beasts,  which 
overrun  all  the  woods  behind  the  city." 

"If  that's  the  case,  no  shore-going  for  me,"  said 
Gilbert.  "  I  came  out  to  fight  Filipinos,  not  tigers. 
By  the  way,  I  wonder  if  there  are  any  wild  animals 
in  the  Philippines  ?  " 

"  Not  any  to  speak  of,"  answered  Larry.  "  You'll 
find  some  wild  boars  and  a  sort  of  buffalo,  and 
also  a  species  of  goats,  and  an  animal  called  a 
wildcat.  But  there  are  plenty  of  monkeys,  so  I've 
been  told,  and  rabbits  and  small  game.  And  then, 
as  everywhere  around  here,  you'll  find  the  birds 
without  number,  while  the  whole  seacoast  is  full 
of  native  oysters,  which  are  not  very  good,  and 
turtles." 

"  Sure,  an'  somewan  told  me  th'  counthry  was  full 
av  lions  and  tigers  an'  elephants ! "  burst  in  Dan 
Casey,  who  stood  by,  listening  to  what  was  said. 
"  It  was  mesilf  as  was  thinkin'  thim  animals  would 
hurt  us  tin  times  more  than  the  ribils  !  "  And  the 
Irish  volunteer  drew  a  long  sigh  of  relief. 

"  The  lions  and  elephants  all  swam  over  to  India, 
Dan,"    answered    Gilbert,    gravely.       "  But    don't 


GENERAL  AGUINALDO  135 

worry,  my  boy,"  he  went  on,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  "you'll  have  adventures  enough.  Do  you 
know  why  the  big  animals  left  ? " 

"  Sure,  sergeant,  an'  how  would  I,  knowin'  nothin' 
about  the  islands  at  all  ?  " 

"  Well,  they  left  on  account  of  the  snakes.  The 
islands  are  overrun  with  reptiles,  you  know  — 
they've  got  about  all  that  St.  Patrick  chased  out 
of  Ireland." 

"  Great  snakes  !     An'  is  that  thrue,  sergeant  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  and  the  snakes  are  great,  some  as 
big  around  as  your  body  and  twenty  to  thirty  feet 
long." 

"  Sure,  an'  that's  worse  nor  tigers  an'  lions,  be- 
dad  !  I  don't  want  any  snakes  in  mine  !  "  And 
Dan  Casey  went  off  shaking  his  head  dubiously. 
It  was  some  time  before  he  discovered  that  Gilbert 
had  been  poking  fun  at  him,  although  snakes  of 
fair  size  can  be  found  throughout  the  Philippines, 
especially  in  the  island  of  Mindanao,  to  the  south- 
ward. 

The  run  through  the  Strait  of  Malacca  to  Singa- 
pore was  an  interesting  one,  for  at  many  points 
the  transport  steamed  so  close  to  shore  that  the 
native  villages   and  the   country   in  general   could 


136  UNDER  OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

be  seen.  On  all  sides  were  immense  forests  of 
teak  and  other  woods,  while  from  a  distance  came 
the  sweet  smell  of  spices.  Delia  was  passed  on 
the  starboard,  and  Malacca  on  the  port,  and  one 
cloudy  afternoon  they  swept  into  the  roadstead 
harbor  of  Singapore  and  came  to  anchor. 

"  Hurrah  !  This  looks  as  if  we  were  going  ashore 
once  more  ! "  cried  Larry ;  but  the  stop  proved 
a  short  one,  —  just  long  enough  to  take  on  a  little 
fresh  water  and  some  ice,  and  to  allow  the  com- 
mander to  get  some  despatches  which  awaited  him. 

"  It's  too  bad  we  can't  see  the  city,"  said  Ben, 
who  stood  at  the  rail,  gazing  at  the  numerous 
shipping,  for  Singapore  is  a  great  centre  of  trade. 
Beyond  the  immense  wharves  could  be  seen  the 
wide  and  well-kept  streets  of  the  town,  with  its 
jumble  of  European  and  Oriental  architecture. 

General  Kenwood's  orders  were  probably  urgent, 
for  no  sooner  had  he  perused  them  than  the 
captain  of  the  transport  was  ordered  to  up  anchor 
and  proceed  with  all  possible  speed,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  found  the  ship  on  its  way  northeastward, 
through  the  South  China  Sea.  There  now  re- 
mained a  clear  run  of  about  fifteen  hundred  miles 
to  Manila. 


GENERAL   AGUINALDO  137 

Several  English  newspapers  had  been  brought 
on  board  at  Singapore,  and  these  were  eagerly 
perused  for  news.  From  them  it  was  learned  that 
the  situation  in  and  around  Manila  remained  about 
the  same,  but  that  the  natives  appeared  to  be 
getting  ready  to  resist  American  authority.  "  I 
think  we  are  going  to  jump  right  into  fighting 
when  we  get  there,"  remarked  Ben,  and  the  young 
lieutenant's  prediction  proved  very  nearly  true. 

So  far  the  health  of  all  on  board  had  been  good, 
but  with  the  continued  hot  weather  several  were 
stricken  with  a  low  fever  —  "equator  fever,"  as 
the  surgeons  in  charge  called  it,  for  it  was  caught 
while  the  transport  was  but  a  few  miles  north 
of  the  equator.  Fortunately  the  medical  attend- 
ance on  board  was  the  best,  and  although  a  few 
suffered  for  a  long  time,  not  one  of  the  cases  was 
fatal. 

"  I  tell  you,  it  fries  the  fat  right  out  of  a  chap," 
said  Mark  Olney  one  day  to  Larry.  "  I  never 
thought  it  could  get  so  hot."  Mark  was  lying 
in  the  shade,  stripped  to  the  waist  and  with  a  wet 
towel  tied  around  his  head,  which  pained  him 
considerably. 

"  You  want  to  be  careful  about  exposing  your- 


138  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

self,"  answered  Larry.  "  And  you  want  to  be  careful 
about  what  you  eat  and  drink,  too.  An  overloaded 
stomach  can  knock  a  fellow  out  as  quickly  as 
anything." 

"  I'm  trying  to  be  careful,  Larry.  But  my  head 
spins  like  a  top.  I  wish  I  had  a  real  cold  drink  of 
ice-water." 

"  That  won't  do  you  half  as  much  good  as  a  drink 
of  strong  lemonade,  Mark.  Just  wait  till  I  make 
it  for  you."  Larry  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and 
the  suffering  boy  declared  that  nothing  had  ever 
tasted  better.  But  on  the  day  following  Mark  had 
to  go  to  the  sick  bay,  and  he  did  not  reappear  until 
long  after  Manila  was  reached. 

Since  coming  from  Cuba,  Ben  had  had  scant 
opportunities  of  studying  up  about  the  Philippines, 
but  now,  as  a  second  lieutenant  of  his  company,  he 
felt  that  he  ought  to  learn  all  he  possibly  could 
about  the  islands.  "  Then,  if  one  of  the  men  ques- 
tion me,  I  won't  stand  and  stare  at  him  like  a  block 
of  wood,"  he  reasoned. 

In  his  naturally  agreeable  way  he  had  made  a 
friend  of  the  first  mate  of  the  transport,  and  through 
this  officer  gained  access  to  the  small  library  which 
the  latter  possessed.     Among  the  volumes  was  one 


GENERAL  AGTTINALDO  139 

on  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  and  Indian  oceans, 
which  included  several  chapters  on  the  Philippines 
and  one  chapter  in  particular  on  Manila,  Ilo  Ilo, 
Sual,  and  Zebu,  the  principal  cities,  seaports  which 
the  Spanish  government  had  kept  open  for  trade 
with  foreign  countries,  —  all  other  seaports  being 
accessible  for  local  traffic  only. 

From  this  book  Ben  learned  several  things  which 
Larry  already  knew  —  that  the  islands,  great  and 
small,  numbered  about  twelve  hundred  and  had  an 
area  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  between  four  and  five  millions. 
Luzon,  upon  which  Manila  was  located,  was  the 
largest  island,  with  an  area  of  fifty-one  thousand 
three  hundred  square  miles,  while  to  the  southward 
was  Mindanao,  about  half  as  large.  Between  these 
two  lay  Samar,  Mindoro,  Panay,  Leyte,  and  hun- 
dreds of  other  islands  of  lesser  importance,  some  of 
which  have  never  yet  been  visited  by  white   men. 

"  It's  a  great  country,"  he  said,  in  talking  the 
matter  over  with  Gilbert.  "  Even  if  we  subdue 
those  rebels,  I  think  we  shall  have  our  hands  full 
governing  it. " 

"  Uncle  Sam  will  have  to  establish  a  permanent 
garrison  in  each  of   the  principal  cities,"  returned 


140  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

the  young  Southerner.  "  That  is  what  the  English 
do,  you  know." 

"  I  know  it.  But  these  islands  are  so  large  it 
will  take  a  good  many  soldiers  to  keep  the  peace, 
to  my  way  of  thinking." 

"  It  all  depends  on  how  the  natives  are  governed, 
Ben.  If  we  do  the  fair  thing  by  them,  I  don't 
think  they'll  be  unruly  very  long,  —  that  is,  after 
we  give  them  a  taste  of  the  benefits  of  real  civiliza- 
tion.    By  the  way,  how  big  is  Manila?" 

"It  has  a  population  of  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand,  mostly  natives  and  Chinamen.  But 
I  understand  that  since  this  trouble  the  population 
has  greatly  increased,  many  natives  coming  in  to 
be  protected  by  our  government  in  case  of  another 
outbreak  by  the  forces  under  General  Aguinaldo." 

"  Then  it  seems  to  me  we'll  have  our  hands  full 
holding  the  city,  as  we  have  less  than  fifteen  thou- 
sand available  men,  —  I  mean  in  case  there  is  an 
uprising  within  as  well  as  without." 

"  I  don't  believe  these  rebels  can  whip  us,  Gilbert. 
General  Aguinaldo  can't  handle  them  skilfully 
enough." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  General  Aguinaldo  is 
not  such  a  fool  as  most  people  think.    I've  been  talk- 


GENERAL   AGTJINALDO  141 

ing  to  Captain  Frayling  about  him.  Fray  ling  says 
he  is  well  educated  and  understands  military  tactics 
as  well  as  any  graduate  from  West  Point.  Those 
who  pick  him  up  for  an  ignorant  native  will  find 
themselves  mistaken  in  the  man." 

"  I  know  he  is  a  Tagal,  and  that  is  about  all  I  do 
know  of  him." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  Tagal,  one  of  the  race  that  inhabits 
the  northern  portion  of  the  island  of  Luzon,  but  he 
looks  much  like  a  Spaniard.  He  has  been  a  soldier 
for  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  they  say  he  is  as  good 
a  shot  as  any  officer  or  man  under  him." 

"I  thought  he  kept  out  of  the  line  of  battle, 
Gilbert." 

"He  may  now,  but  he  didn't  during  the  time 
that  the  Tagals  were  fighting  the  Spaniards.  He 
and  all  his  generals  were  as  brave  as  they  were 
daring.  Captain  Frayling  said  some  of  these  fel- 
lows would  remain  on  the  firing  line  long  after 
they  ought  to  have  been  carried  to  the  hospital. 
They  have  fought  for  so  many  years  among  them- 
selves that  a  small  wound  doesn't  seem  to  affect 
them.  I'll  tell  you,  I  don't  think  we  have  any  easy 
time  ahead,"  concluded  Gilbert. 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN     WHICH    LARRY    JOINS     THE     "OLYMPIA"     ONCE 

MORE 

"Land!  land!     The  Philippines  at  last!" 

Such  was  the  cry  which  rang  throughout  the 
transport  one  hot  afternoon  late  in  January,  bring- 
ing soldiers,  sailors,  and  everybody  else  to  the  deck  in 
a  hurry.  Yes,  land  was  there,  as  yet  a  mere  speck  on 
the  horizon,  dead  ahead.  On  all  other  sides  was  to 
be  seen  nothing  but  the  deep-rolling  China  Sea. 

"  Hurrah !  it  won't  be  long  before  we  set  foot  on 
land  now!"  exclaimed  Ben,  his  face  beaming.  "I 
wonder  what  part  of  the  Philippines  that  is." 

"We  were  sailing  directly  for  the  entrance  of 
Manila  Bay,"  replied  Larry.  "The  captain  says 
the  land  we  have  sighted  is  just  north  of  the  en- 
trance. Before  long  you'll  see  the  entrance  itself, 
with  Corregidor  Island  and  one  or  two  small  bits 
of  land  lying  about  in  the  middle.  I  guess  we 
may  as  well  get  ready  to  pack  our  ditty  boxes  and 
knapsacks,  eh?" 

142 


LAERY  JOINS  THE   "  OLYMPIA "   ONCE   MORE      143 

Soon  the  land  began  to  loom  up  more  plainly, 
and  they  could  see  the  low-lying  hills,  covered  with 
brush  and  other  tropical  growths.  "Looks  about 
like  the  other  places  down  here,  doesn't  it  ? "  re- 
marked Gilbert. 

"You  didn't  expect  to  see  something  entirely 
different,  did  you?"  rejoined  Ben.  "See,  we  are 
heading  for  yonder  entrance  to  the  bay.  Is  that 
Corregidor  Island,  Larry  ?  " 

"  It  is,"  was  the  young  sailor's  reply.  "  My,  what 
a  difference  between  now  and  when  I  was  on  board 
the  Olympia,  and  we  crept  in  under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  expecting  each  instant  to  be  blown  up 
by  some  sunken  mine." 

"  Hurrah ! "  came  suddenly  from  a  distance,  and 
looking,  all  those  on  deck  saw  a  party  of  American 
soldiers  standing  on  the  shore  of  Corregidor,  one 
with  an  American  flag,  which  he  was  waving  lustily. 
A  rousing  cheer  went  up  in  return.  "  We've  found 
friends  at  last  in  this  foreign-like  quarter,"  was  Gil- 
bert's comment,  while  Ben's  heart  beat  faster  than 
ever. 

The  Bay  of  Manila  is  a  large  one,  and  Manila 
itself  is  located  twenty-nine  miles  from  the  entrance 
on   the   northeast  shore.     By   the   time   Corregidor 


144  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

had  been  passed  it  was  dark,  and  anchor  was 
dropped  on  the  west  side  of  the  channel. 

"  It's  too  bad  we  can't  land  at  once,"  grumbled 
Ben.    "  I  wonder  if  there's  been  any  righting  to-day." 

The  others  wondered  too,  but  nobody  could  an- 
swer the  question.  With  the  end  of  that  long  trip 
so  near,  nobody  felt  like  sleeping,  and  almost  all 
sat  up  for  the  greater  part  of  the  warm  night,  and 
discussed  the  situation,  speculating  upon  what  would 
be  their  first  duty  on  landing. 

Ben  sought  out  Larry.  "I  suppose  we've  got 
to  separate  soon,"  he  said  soberly.  "It's  too  bad 
we  can't  be  together,  but  duty  is  duty,  and  we  will 
have  to  make  the  best  of  it." 

"I'll  write  to  you  as  often  as  I  can  get  the 
chance,  Ben,  and  you  must  do  the  same,"  answered 
the  young  sailor,  and,  as  a  curious  lump  came  up 
into  his  throat,  he  caught  his  elder  brother's  hand 
in  the  darkness,  and  gave  it  a  tight  squeeze.  Now 
that  parting  was  so  near  at  hand  each  felt  how  dear 
the  other  was  to  him. 

The  only  man  on  the  transport  who  felt  thor- 
oughly miserable  was  Quartermaster  Yarrow.  He 
knew  that  in  a  few  hours  more  he  would  be  handed 
over  to  the  naval  authorities.     "  And  what  will  they 


LAKEY  JOINS   THE   "  OLYMPIA "   ONCE  MORE      145 

do  with  me  then?"  was  his  constant  thought.  He 
was  very  bitter  at  Jack  Biddle  and  Larry,  and 
vowed  that  he  would  "square  matters"  with  both, 
did  the  opportunity  ever  present  itself. 

It  was  the  Monadnock  which  steamed  up  along- 
side of  the  transport  at  daylight  on  the  morning 
following.  She  was  a  coast  defence  monitor  of 
about  four  thousand  tons'  displacement,  and  had 
been  sent  to  the  Philippines  some  time  previous. 
Presently  her  officers  came  on  board,  followed  by 
several  jackies,  the  latter  to  help  the  sailors  remove 
their  effects. 

"  We  are  to  join  our  various  ships  at  once,"  said 
Larry,  rushing  up  to  Ben  shortly  afterward.  "  Good- 
by,  and  good  luck  to  you,  and  be  sure  to  write," 
and  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the  young  sailor  was 
off,  bound  for  the  Olympia,  in  company  with  Jack 
Biddle,  while  Mark  Olney  went  along,  bound  for 
the  Concord,  with  all  the  others,  who  were  going 
to  one  or  another  of  the  Asiatic  Squadron.  The 
soldiers  gave  them  a  rousing  cheer,  which  was  re- 
turned with  interest. 

"  It  makes  me  feel  almost  like  home,"  said  Larry, 
as  they  steamed  within  sight  of  the  flagship,  which 
lay  well  out  in  the  harbor  of  Manila.     "  Here  is  just 


146  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

where  I  left  the  dear  old  ship  when  I  sailed  on 
board  the  McCullocJi  for  Hong  Kong.  I  hope  all 
my  old  friends  are  aboard." 

"Larry  Russell!  Hooray!"  The  cry  came  from 
the  gun-deck  of  the  Olympia,  and,  looking  forward, 
the  youth  saw  a  bronzed  face  that  made  his  heart 
jump  with  gladness. 

"  Luke  Striker !  "  he  called  back.  "  Aren't  you 
glad  to  see  me?     I'm  awfully  glad  to  see  you." 

"Glad  ain't  no  name,  lad.  You  air  a  sight  for 
sore  eyes,  thet's  wot  ye  air!  Come  on  board  an' 
git  hugged  to  death ! "  And  when  Larry  did  come 
on  board  the  old  gunner  nearly  squeezed  his  hand 
to  a  jelly.  Barrow,  Castleton,  and  the  others  were 
also  delighted  to  meet  him  once  more,  and  for  a 
while  the  scene  was  a  jolly  one.  Jack  Biddle  was, 
of  course,  speedily  introduced,  and  he  and  Striker 
soon  became  warm  friends.  Later  on  it  was  found 
that  Biddle  was  to  have  charge  of  the  gun  next 
to  that  commanded  by  Luke  Striker,  —  for  Luke, 
it  must  be  remembered,  was  now  a  gun-captain, — 
so  the  friends  would  be  close  together  during  a 
fight,  should  any  come. 

"We've  kept  mighty  quiet  since  the  fall  of  Ma- 
nila," said  Luke,  after  all  had  settled  down.     "  But 


LARRY  JOINS   THE   "  OLYMPIA "   ONCE  MORE      147 

we  are  not  calculating  to  keep  quiet  much  longer. 
Those  rebels  are  grumbling  like  thunder,  and  the 
feeling  in  the  city  is  like  a  barrel  o'  gunpowder, 
that  only  wants  a  match  struck  to  set  it  off." 

"But  about  the  fall  of  the  city,  did  you  take 
any  part  in  that?"  asked  Larry. 

"  To  be  sure  we  did,  my  lad,  —  this  old  gun  of 
mine  was  one  of  the  first  to  begin  the  firing.  We 
lay  off  Fort  San  Antonio  and  gave  it  to  the  Span- 
iards for  all  we  knew  how." 

"  And  what  did  they  do  —  fire  in  return  ?  " 

"  They  were  too  scared  to  do  anything.  We 
started  in  at  half-past  nine,  and  by  eleven  o'clock 
the  Spanish  flag  came  down  on  the  run,  and  the 
city  was  ours." 

"It  must  have  been  exciting  even  so,  Luke." 

"So  it  was  —  but  nothing  to  that  battle  in 
which  you  fought,  lad ;  that  was  something  I'll 
never  forget,"  concluded  Luke  Striker,  emphatically. 

Larry  wanted  to  know  all  the  news,  and  it  was 
soon  given  to  him.  The  harbor  seemed  to  be  full 
of  ships  of  war,  and  the  old  Yankee  tar  pointed 
out  one  and  another  of  them  to  both  the  boy  and 
Bid  die  and  told  what  they  were  and  when  they 
had  arrived. 


148  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Uncle  Sam  is  bound  to  have  enough  ships  on 
hand,"  said  Larry.  "We  must  have  more  here 
now  than  Sampson  had  in  Cuban  waters." 

"Hardly,  lad.  But  we've  got  a  good  many 
more  than  we  had  when  we  came  to  whip  Mon- 
tojo." 

"And  what  have  they  done  with  Montojo's  men 
and  with  the  Spanish  soldiers  who  surrendered  ? " 

"  They  are  being  shipped  back  to  Spain  jest  as 
fast  as  it  kin  be  done.  But  it's  a  big  job  an' 
takes  time.  Now  tell  me  all  about  yourself,  and 
then  tell  me  about  that  big  brother  o'  yours  who 
is  a  soldier  and  that  other  one  who  fit  Cervera 
down  off  Santiago.  Say,  but  I  would  like  to 
have  been  in  that  running  fight,  eh?"  and  Luke 
Striker  bobbed  his  head  enthusiastically.  At  Ma- 
nila the  men  talked  continually  of  our  naval  oper- 
ations in  Cuban  waters,  while  at  home  the  main 
topic  of  conversation  was  Dewey's  wonderful  vic- 
tory at  Manila. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  during  his  former 
service  on  the  flagship  Larry  had  had  no  opportu- 
nity of  going  ashore.  As  the  city  was  now  under 
American  control,  he  was  anxious  to  see  what  the 
place  looked  like,  and  at  the  first  chance  he  asked 


LARRY  JOINS   THE   "  OLYMPIA "   ONCE  MORE      149 

for  and  obtained  permission  to  join  a  party  which 
was  to  have  forty-eight  hours'  furlough.  Luke 
Striker  accompanied  him. 

"  Take  good  care  of  yourselves,"  shouted  Jack 
Biddle  after  them.  The  gunner  would  have  liked 
to  join  the  pair,  but  could  not  be  spared. 

"  We'll  try  to,"  cried  back  Larry  from  the  row- 
boat  in  which  they  had  taken  passage.  "  I  don't 
expect  trouble  just  yet,  but  if  it  comes,  you  hold 
the   Olympia  in  readiness  for  it." 

"  Right  you  are,  lad,  —  we'll  give  it  to  those 
rebels  so  hot  they  won't  know  where  they  stand," 
answered  Biddle. 

"You  men  keep  out  of  trouble,"  was  the  parting 
word  from  the  officer  of  the  deck.  "At  present 
all  is  quiet  in  the  town,  and  if  there  is  to  be  any 
fighting,  we  don't  want  our  side  to  start  it." 

"  We'll  remember,  sir,"  answered  the  sailor  in 
charge  of  the  party.  "  But  we  are  not  to  take 
any  insults,  are  we  ?  " 

"No.  But  don't  use  any  firearms  unless  it  be- 
comes absolutely  necessary.  Those  rebels  are  just 
waiting  for  us  to  do  some  shooting.  Then  they'll 
draw  on  a  regular  battle,  and  send  word  to  Wash- 
ington that  we  are  trying  to  butcher  them." 


150  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Soon  the  small  boat  was  on  its  way,  leaping 
over  the  waves  of  Manila  Bay  as  if  it  were  a 
thing  of  life.  The  city  was  nearly  a  mile  away,  and 
those  at  the  oars  were  bound  to  make  their  run 
ashore  as  long  as  possible. 

"  I  hope  Ben  has  landed  and  that  I  can  find 
him,"  said  Larry  on  the  way.  He  determined  to 
start  on  a  hunt  for  his  brother  as  soon  as  the 
dock  was  gained,  but  never  dreamed  of  the  thrill- 
ing adventure  into  which  that  search  was  to  lead 
him. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

LITE  IN  THE  CITY  OF  MANILA 

The  city  of  Manila  is  divided  into  two  parts 
by  the  river  Pasig,  a  good  sized  stream  which  is 
navigable  for  a  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles. 
To  the  south  of  the  river  is  the  old  portion  of  the 
town,  at  which  were  formerly  located  the  Spanish 
forts  and  government  buildings,  all  still  standing,  but 
now  occupied  by  our  own  officers,  civic  officials,  and 
soldiers.  This  portion  of  the  city  contains  a  beauti- 
ful cathedral,  over  a  dozen  churches,  and  several 
convents.  It  is  enclosed  by  an  ancient  rampart, 
beyond  which  is  a  beautiful  driveway  and  public 
park.  On  the  harbor  side  are  long  wharves,  covered 
with  a  ramshackle  set  of  buildings  which  give  the 
newcomer  no  idea  of  the  better  appearance  of  the 
town  beyond.  All  the  streets  in  old  Manila  are 
regular,  broad,  and  well  kept,  but  business  in  this 
portion  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

To  the  north  of  the  Pasig  lie  the  several  districts 
151 


152  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

of  Tondo,  Binondo,  Santa  Cruz,  Quiapo,  and  St. 
Miguel.  Tondo  is  located  to  the  north,  directly 
upon  the  harbor,  and  Binondo,  Santa  Cruz,  and 
the  others  to  the  eastward,  but  still  bordering  upon 
the  upper  bank  of  the  winding  Pasig. 

The  great  shopping  centre  is  in  the  Binondo  dis- 
trict, and  this  also  contains  hundreds  of  fine  resi- 
dences, belonging  to  the  native  merchants.  Here 
the  streets  are  narrow,  irregular,  and  many  of  them 
still  unpaved,  and  the  territory  is  also  cut  up  by 
several  small  canals.  Down  in  the  business  centre 
the  shops  are  huddled  closely  together,  and  as  much 
of  the  trading  is  done  on  the  sidewalk,  the  foot 
passenger,  if  he  is  in  a  hurry,  must  take  to  the 
street. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are  fully  as  many 
foreigners  in  business  in  Manila  as  there  are  both 
natives  and  Spaniards,  Of  the  foreigners  the 
greater  portion  are  Chinamen,  who  keep  restau- 
rants and  stores  for  the  sale  of  all  sorts  of  com- 
modities. There  is  also  a  good  sprinkling  of  Eng- 
lishmen and  Germans,  the  majority  of  whom  are 
engaged  in  the  foreign  trade.  That  my  readers 
may  not  think  that  Manila  is  far  behind  the  times 
let  me  add  that  there  are  both   electric   lights  and 


LIFE  IN  THE   CITY  OF  MANILA  153 

telephones  there,  as  well  as  several  street-car  lines 
Carts  and  farm  wagons  that  come  into  the  city  are 
usually  drawn  by  water  buffaloes,  but  for  carriages 
and  horseback  riding  the  native  ponies  are  used. 

Many  of  the  soldiers  arriving  on  the  transports 
had  been  landed  at  Cavite*  and  placed  in  temporary 
camps  along  the  shore  from  the  arsenal  to  the  walls 
of  the  city,  but  Ben's  command  was  taken  directly 
into  Manila  and  assigned  to  a  barrack  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  place.  The  landing  was  made  in 
cascoes  without  difficulty,  and  after  a  rather  long 
wait  on  a  dock  piled  high  with  native  lumber,  — 
ebony,  iron-wood,  grenadilla,  mahogany,  and  the 
like,  —  the  regiment  moved  to  the  barracks  through 
several  streets  which  were  crowded  with  a  popula- 
tion representing  a  dozen  nationalities.  But  the 
Tagals  were  in  the  majority,  and  these  are  the 
people  that  are  commonly  known  as  the  Filipinos. 
They  are  of  Malay  blood,  sometimes  mixed  with 
Spanish,  are  of  a  reddish  brown  color,  with  high 
cheek  bones  and  broad  lips,  and  all  have  thick, 
straight,  black  hair.  None  of  them  are  of  great 
height,  and  a  six-foot  Tagal  is  almost  unknown. 

The  barracks  was  almost  as  much  of  a  curiosity 
to  the   young  lieutenant  as  the   people.     It  was  a 


154  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

two-storied  affair,  built  in  the  form  of  a  hollow 
square,  with  a  small  parade  ground  of  hot  sand  in 
the  centre.  In  front  was  a  small  veranda,  and  at 
the  ends  the  upper  story  overtopped  the  lower  by- 
several  feet.  There  were  numerous  windows,  but 
no  window  glass,  some  of  the  openings  being  pro- 
tected by  iron  bars  and  others  having  sash  frames 
filled  with  transparent  sea-shells,  which  let  in  as 
much  light  as  our  ordinary  ground  glass  windows. 
A  certain  kind  of  sea-shell,  broad  and  flat,  is  used 
for  this  purpose  all  over  the  Philippines. 

"They  don't  build  any  of  their  houses  very 
high,"  remarked  Ben,  as,  after  a  short  drill,  he  and 
Gilbert  took  a  stroll  around  the  city. 

"  I  reckon  they  are  afraid  of  earthquakes,"  an- 
swered the  Southerner.  "  They  have  had  some  pretty 
severe  ones  here.  One  in  1863  threw  down  all 
the  churches  and  other  principal  buildings  and 
killed  over  two  thousand  inhabitants." 

"  Gracious,  then  I  don't  want  to  be  here  when 
an  earthquake  comes,  Gilbert." 

"Nor  I.  But  I  reckon  a  native  uprising  here 
would  prove  about  as  disastrous.  Do  you  notice  how 
our  soldiers  are  doing  police  duty  on  every  corner?" 

"  I  saw  two  guards  on  the  corner  we  just  passed. 


LIFE  IN  THE   CITY   OF   MANILA  155 

I  wonder  how  they  get  along  with  those  who  can't 
speak  English." 

"  Make  them  understand  by  signs,  I  suppose,  — 
or  call  in  an  interpreter.  But  some  of  them  must 
understand  a  little  English  by  this  time.  Hullo, 
look  at  that  sign." 

The  sign  to  which  Gilbert  referred  was  one  on 
heavy  brown  paper,  painted  in  red,  blue,  and  yellow, 
and  invited  all  Americans  to  come  and  see  the 
wonderful  cock  fight  at  a  certain  sporting  resort 
that  afternoon.  Price  of  admission  was,  for  Ameri- 
cans, "  One  silver  dollar,  which  give  to  that  one  the 
best  of  all  of  the  seats  at  a  choice." 

"  His  English  is  a  bit  mixed,  but  the  advertiser 
makes  himself  understood,"  commented  Gilbert. 
"  Cock  fighting  is  the  national  sport  here,  just  as 
bull  fighting  is  in  Spain.  "Do  you  want  to  go, 
Ben?" 

"  No ;  such  cruel,  senseless  sport  has  no  fascination 
for  me.  What  fun  can  there  be  in  seeing  one 
chicken  trying  to  kill  another?" 

"  And  yet  they  say  these  people  go  wild  over  the 
sport." 

"Then  it  shows  they  need  education,  Gilbert; 
that  is  all  I've  got  to  say." 


156  UNDER   OTIS   EST   THE   PHILIPPINES 

A  little  further  on  they  came  to  a  restaurant 
conducted  by  several  natives.  Outside  hung  a 
bill  of  fare,  printed  in  both  English  and  Spanish. 
Delicious  fish  chowder  was  put  down  at  twenty- 
five  cents  per  bowl,  and  they  determined  to  go  in 
and  try  the  dish,  as  much  for  the  novelty  as  any- 
thing else.  Soon  they  were  seated  at  a  long,  low 
table  covered  with  a  tablecloth  of  fancy  pattern,  and 
a  short,  fat  Tagal  came  forward  to  wait  upon  them. 

"  Do  you  speak  English  ? "  asked  Ben,  with  a 
smile. 

"  Yes,  mistair,  spak  verra  good  Englees,"  was 
the  reply,  and  the  native  smiled  even  more  broadly 
than  had  Ben. 

"  Good  enough,"  put  in  Gilbert.  "  Bring  us 
some  of  your  fish  chowder." 

"Feesh  chowder?  Verra  good,  mistair.  Feesh 
chowder  all,  mistair  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"Verra  good,  mistair,"  and  the  native  trotted 
off.  Presently  he  returned  with  two  large  bowls 
of  steaming  chowder  which  was  as  appetizing  as  it 
was  peculiar  in  flavor.  "With  the  chowder  were 
served  half  a  dozen  hard  rice  cakes,  which  also 
tasted  good  to  the  hungry  soldiers. 


LIFE  IN  THE   CITY   OF   MANILA  157 

"  Well,  how  do  you  find  business  ? "  asked  Ben, 
when  the  eating  was  brought  on. 

"  Only  so-so,  mistair.  Nobody  haf  much  money, 
—  Tagalos  poor,  Spanish  poor,  soldier  more  poor, 
no  money  at  all,"  and  the  native  waved  his  hands 
and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  So  you  think  our  soldiers  are  the  most  poor  of 
the  lot?"  laughed  Gilbert. 

"  Verra  poor  —  after  pay  day  go  by.  Pay  day 
verra  rich,  spend  everyt'ing  in  two,  tree  days.  Den 
verra  poor,  say  '  trust  me.'  Me  trust,  nevair  see  de 
same  soldier  again,"  and  the  Tagal  squinted  his  eyes 
suggestively.  His  manner  was  so  comical  that 
both  Ben  and  Gilbert  roared.  But  the  native  did 
not  see  the  humor  of  the  situation  and  walked  off  in 
ill  humor,  muttering  to  himself  in  his  own  language. 
Ben  soon  discovered  that  all  of  the  Tagals,  espe- 
cially those  who  were  a  trifle  educated,  took  them- 
selves very  seriously  and  did  not  understand  jok- 
ing at  all,  although  they  are  not  above  what  they 
call  fun,  —  boisterous  horse-play. 

As  people  of  all  kinds  were  coming  and  going, 
the  pair  remained  in  the  restaurant  a  long  time, 
eating  their  chowder  slowly.  "  "We  must  make  the 
best  of   it,"   remarked   Ben.       "I   think    we'll   get 


158  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

orders  to  go  on  the  outskirts  to-morrow,  and  that 
means  a  long  time  in  the  trenches,  with  only  reg- 
ular rations  to  live  on." 

"Well,  I  can't  say  that  this  looks  much  like 
war,"  returned  the  young  Southerner.  "  Certainly 
these  folks  look  peaceable  enough." 

"  They  know  that  our  troops  will  stand  no  non- 
sense —  the  capture  of  the  city  told  them  that. 
But  I'll  wager  the  troops  outside  under  Aguinaldo 
are  of  a  different  metal.  For  myself,  I  am  rather 
anxious  to  get  on  the  outskirts,  just  to  get  a  taste 
of  what  we  had  in  Cuba  once  more." 

"I'll  wager  those  are  genuine  rebels,"  whispered 
Gilbert,  nodding  toward  half  a  dozen  natives  who 
had  come  in  and  seated  themselves  in  the  rear  of 
the  place.  They  had  ordered  a  little  to  eat  and 
a  great  deal  to  drink,  and  were  talking  cautiously 
and  earnestly.  Presently  they  caught  sight  of  the 
Americans  and  one  after  another  scowled  ominously. 

"  They  don't  like  it  that  we  are  here,"  said  Ben. 
"  I  see  you  have  about  finished.     Shall  we  go  ?  " 

"  On  their  account  ?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  We  have 
as  much  right  here  as  they  have.  If  they  don't 
like  our  presence,  let  them  go  elsewhere,"  was  Gil- 
bert's warm  reply. 


LIFE   IN   THE   CITY   OF   MANILA  159 

"  The  Americanos  are  no  good,"  said  one  of 
the  Filipinos,  in  exceedingly  bad  English.  "  They 
canno  shoot,  they  canno  fight,  —  they  are  cowards 
—  they  haf  to  come  to  a  Tagalos  eating-house  to 
keep  from  starving  —  bah  !  " 

He  spoke  in  a  loud  voice,  evidently  intending 
to  insult  the  Americans.  Ben  and  Gilbert  heard 
his  voice  quite  plainly,  and  both  colored  up. 

"  They  mean  us,  Gilbert,"  whispered  the  young 
lieutenant. 

"  So  they  do,"  came  from  the  sergeant's  set  lips. 
His  hot  Southern  temper  arose  on  the  instant. 
"I'm  going  to  find  out  what  he  means  by  his 
words." 

"  No  !  no  !     You'll  only  get  into  trouble." 

"  I  don't  care  —  he  shan't  insult  us  in  this 
fashion.  I'll  make  him  eat  his  words  —  or  know 
the  reason  why."  And  leaping  to  his  feet,  Gilbert 
strode  over  to  the  rebel  and  caught  him  firmly  by 
the  shoulder. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

AN  UPRISING   IN   THE   STREETS 

Ben  fully  expected  to  see  a  fight  on  the  instant, 
and  as  Gilbert  caught  hold  of  the  Filipino,  he  put 
his  hand  to  his  hip  pocket  and  half  drew  his  pistol, 
—  to  be  ready  in  case  of  an  emergency,  —  for  he 
had  learned  the  lesson  of  war  times,  that  it  is  often 
advisable  to  "shoot  first  and  talk  afterward." 

The  rebel  had  seen  Gilbert  advance,  and  when 
the  young  Southerner  caught  him  by  the  shoulder 
he  did  not  flinch,  although  his  hollow  face  became 
a  trifle  more  sober  than  it  had  been  while  he  was 
uttering  his  tirade. 

"You  meant  those  words  for  us,  didn't  you?" 
asked  Gilbert,  in  cool,  clean-cut  tones. 

" I  was  speaking  of  all  Americanos"  growled  the 
Filipino.  And  then  he  added  some  words  in  his 
native  tongue,  to  the  effect  that  Gilbert  should  let 
go  of  him,  or  he  would  be  sorry  for  it. 

"  You  meant  us  in  particular,  you  rascal !  Take 
160 


Drop  it  or  I'll  fire."  —  Page  161. 


AN  UPRISING   IN   THE   STREETS  161 

that ! "  And  raising  his  hand,  the  young  South- 
erner threw  the  Tagal  from  his  bench  flat  on  his 
back  on  the  floor. 

At  once  the  Filipinos,  who  were  five  in  number, 
set  up  a  cry  of  defiance,  and  before  the  keepers  of 
the  restaurant  could  interfere  they  hurled  them- 
selves upon  Gilbert,  bearing  him  to  the  floor,  close 
to  where  their  companion  lay. 

"  Teach  the  Americano  a  lesson !  "  burst  from  one 
of  the  number.  "  Use  no  pistols,  but  pound  them 
well."  And  they  started  in  to  hammer  Gilbert  at 
will,  while  one  of  them,  evidently  the  most  savage 
of  the  lot,  drew  a  bolo — a  long  knife  used  in  the 
cane  fields.  At  the  same  time  the  restaurant  pro- 
prietors called  upon  them  to  behave  themselves,  but 
to  this  plea  they  paid  no  attention. 

Ben  saw  it  all,  and  when  Gilbert  went  down 
the  heart  of  the  young  lieutenant  seemed  to  leap 
into  his  throat.  But  he  did  not  lose  his  presence 
of  mind,  and  as  quick  as  a  flash  he  brought  the 
pistol  into  view,  and  aimed  it  at  the  head  of  the 
rascal  with  the  knife. 

"  Drop  it !  "  he  called  out.  "  Drop  it,  01  1*11 
fire  !  " 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  Tagal  understood  the  words, 


162  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

since  thus  far  he  had  not  said  a  word  in  English, 
but  he  understood  that  the  pistol  barrel  was  in  a 
direct  line  with  his  head,  and  that  the  aim  of  the 
young  American  was  a  true  one.  Startled  at  the 
sudden  turn  of  affairs,  he  jerked  the  holo  behind 
him,  out  of  sight,  and  ran  for  a  side  window  of 
the  restaurant,  out  of  which  he  tumbled  in  a  most 
ungraceful  fashion. 

By  this  time  Gilbert  was  trying  to  get  up.  But 
with  one  Filipino  on  his  chest  and  another  on  his 
legs  this  was  not  so  easy.  "  Let  up,  you  villains !  " 
he  gasped.  "  Let  up,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for 
you  !  " 

"  Yes,  let  up ! "  repeated  the  young  lieutenant. 
As  he  spoke  he  pushed  his  weapon  under  the  nose 
of  the  fellow  on  Gilbert's  chest.  There  was  a  yell 
of  fright,  and  the  Tagal  fell  back  upon  his  com- 
panion, and  both  rolled  on  the  floor. 

But  now  the  other  two,  including  the  rascal  who 
had  started  all  of  the  trouble,  ran  up  to  Ben,  one 
in  front  and  one  behind,  and  while  Gilbert  was 
scrambling  up,  the  young  lieutenant  was  thrown 
down,  his  pistol  falling  under  the  table  and  going  off 
accidentally,  hitting  one  of  the  Tagals  in  the  thigh. 

A  scream  of  pain  followed   the  report,  and  the 


AN  UPRISING  IN  THE   STREETS  163 

smoke  made  it  look  as  though  a  regular  skirmish 
was  taking  place  in  the  restaurant.  In  the  mean- 
time the  other  customers  who  had  been  present 
had  fled,  among  them  a  German,  who  ran  around 
the  corner  to  notify  the  military  command  sta- 
tioned there  that  an  uprising  was  in  progress. 

Ben  had  gone  down,  but  he  was  not  subdued, 
and  aiming  a  side  blow  with  his  right  fist,  he  sent 
one  of  the  Tagals  staggering  back  against  a  wall. 
Then  the  other  closed  in,  and  American  and  Fili- 
pino rolled  over  and  over,  in  the  direction  of  the 
street  entrance.  By  this  time  a  crowd  began  to 
collect,  brought  to  the  spot  by  the  pistol  shot,  and 
soon  the  entire  street  was  blockaded. 

"  The  natives  are  rising !  "  was  the  cry  from  the 
Americans.  "  Shoot  them  down  !  Make  them  keep 
quiet  and  get  indoors  ! " 

"  The  Americanos  are  going  to  butcher  us  all !  " 
came  from  the  Filipinos.  "  Fight,  or  fly  for  your 
lives !  " 

Each  instant  the  cries  became  louder  and  the 
crowd  more  dense,  until  it  looked  as  if  the  whole 
front  of  the  restaurant  and  the  buildings  adjoin- 
ing would  be  crushed  in.  Opposite  to  the  eating- 
house  was  the   store   of   a  Chinese  merchant.     As 


164  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

soon  as  the  trouble  started,  the  Celestial  brought 
forth  his  heavy  wooden  shutters,  put  them  up  and 
barred  them,  and  then  disappeared  from  view  into 
his  cellar,  taking  his  money  and  valuables  with  him. 

Ben  and  his  assailant  and  Gilbert  all  reached  the 
doorway  of  the  restaurant  at  the  same  time.  In  a 
twinkling  the  young  Southerner  caught  the  Tagal 
and  threw  him  back  among  his  fellows.  Then 
another  pistol  shot  rang  out,  and  Ben  felt  a  bullet 
whistle  uncomfortably  close  to  his  ear. 

"Matters  are  getting  warm  —  hadn't  we  better 
run  for  it  now?"  he  said. 

"We  can't  run — we  are  hemmed  in,  Ben. 
Look !  " 

As  Gilbert  finished  he  pointed  out  to  where  a 
dozen  Filipinos  were  advancing,  two  with  knives, 
one  with  a  pistol,  and  the  others  with  sticks  and 
stones.  Behind  the  dozen  was  a  miscellaneous  mob 
of  all  nationalities. 

"We  must  fight  our  way  out,  Gilbert,"  came 
from  the  young  lieutenant.  "  Hurry  up,  or  it  will 
be  too  late !  " 

Even  while  Ben  was  talking  another  pistol  shot 
rang  through  the  air.  He  saw  his  chum  stagger, 
but  only  for  an  instant. 


AN  UPRISING   IN  THE   STREETS  165 

"You  are  hit,  Gilbert?" 

"  Only  a  scratch  in  the  shoulder.     Come  on !  " 

They  started  to  slip  past  the  restaurant  door, 
and  thus  avoid  those  who  were  hurrying  toward 
them  from  the  roadway.  But  with  a  yell  of  rage 
the  dozen  came  on,  and  soon  they  were  surrounded, 
and  all  sorts  of  articles,  sticks,  stones,  old  bottles, 
and  the  like,  were  hurled  at  them.  One  bottle  hit 
Ben  in  the  chin,  drawing  blood. 

But  now  an  unexpected  cry  rang  out,  a  cry  that 
filled  Ben  with  amazement.  "  Olympia  boys  to  the 
rescue!  Don't  hang  back!  Give  the  niggers  what 
they  deserve!  "  And  up  came  the  eight  sailors  who 
had  obtained  a  forty-eight  hours'  furlough  that  very 
morning,  and  with  them  Larry  and  Luke  Striker. 

"Here  come  some  of  our  sailors!  They  are  going 
to  help  us!  "  ejaculated  Gilbert.  "This  way,  fellows, 
if  you  would  fight  for  Uncle  Sam!  "  he  called  out. 

"We're  coming!"  came  back  from  Striker,  and 
soon  the  tall  Yankee  was  fighting  his  way  to  the 
pair's  side,  hurling  the  Filipinos  to  the  right  and 
the  left  as  he  advanced. 

"Ben!"  the  call  came  from  Larry,  and  the  young 
lieutenant  looked  up  to  see  his  brother  bearing 
down  upon  him.     "  What  does  this  mean  ? " 


166  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  It  means  that  we  have  got  into  a  mess  and 
must  get  out  of  it  here,"  panted  the  young  lieu- 
tenant. "  Look  out,  the  Filipinos  will  murder  you 
if  they  get  the  chance." 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more  —  indeed,  the 
yelling  was  now  so  great  that  scarcely  anybody 
could  make  himself  understood.  Larry  sprang  to  his 
brother's  side,  and  both  began  to  fight  their  way 
in  the  direction  Gilbert,  Striker,  and  several  sailors 
had  pursued.  Many  blows  were  taken  and  delivered, 
and  again  Ben  went  down,  hit  in  the  back  of  the 
head.  Larry  bent  over  him,  to  learn  that  his  brother 
was  unconscious. 

"  Let  him  alone,"  he  cried  fiercely  to  a  Filipino 
who  was  about  to  stamp  upon  Ben,  and  as  the 
rascal  raised  his  foot,  Larry  caught  it  and  gave  a 
jerk,  and  down  went  the  Tagal  with  a  thump  on 
the  pavement.  Before  he  could  rise,  the  young 
sailor  had  his  brother  up  in  his  arms  and  over  his 
shoulder  and  was  running  as  rapidly  as  the  weight 
of  his  burden  would  permit. 

Matters  were  looking  very  serious  all  around, 
when  the  little  uprising  subsided  as  quickly  as  it 
had  gathered.  The  German  who  had  given  the 
alarm   to  the   authorities   had   caused  a  Minnesota 


AN   UPRISING  IN   THE   STREETS  167 

company  of  volunteers  to  be  called  out,  and  they 
came  down  the  highway  on  the  double  quick,  with 
muskets  loaded  and  bayonets  fixed. 

"Into  your  homes,  every  one  of  you!"  shouted 
the  captain  in  command.  "  Drop  your  weapons 
or  you  will  be  shot  down!  "  And  then  a  volley 
rang  out,  shot  into  the  air,  and,  badly  demoralized, 
the  rioters,  for  they  can  be  termed  nothing  else, 
sped  in  all  directions,  and  the  street  was  cleared 
in  a  twinkle. 

The  company  had  come  up  behind  the  Filipinos, 
and  consequently  the  natives  were  at  first  driven 
upon  Larry  and  the  others.  For  a  moment  it 
looked  as  if  the  young  sailor  would  be  upset  in 
the  mel6e,  but  he  managed  to  keep  his  feet,  and  in 
a  minute  more  the  danger  was  past,  and  then 
Gilbert  and  Striker  joined  him. 

"  Is  Ben  badly  hurt  ? "  questioned  Gilbert,  in 
deep  concern,  for  in  a  way  he  counted  himself 
largely  responsible  for  what  had  occurred. 

"  I  don't  believe  so — still  there  is  no  telling,"  was 
Larry's  slow  reply.  "  I  wonder  where  we  can  get 
some  water?" 

"  Let  us  ask  the  soldiers,"  suggested  Striker. 

"No,    don't    do    that,"    put    in    Gilbert,  hastily. 


168  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"They'll  want  to  know  all  about  the  trouble  and 
they  may  place  us  under  arrest.  You  see  we  were 
in  it  from  the  start,"  he  added. 

"Then  let  us  take  him  down  one  of  the  side 
streets,"  returned  Larry.  "  I  think  if  we  bathe 
him  he'll  come  around  and  be  all  right." 

All  three  took  up  the  form  of  the  young  lieuten- 
ant and  hurried  along  a  street  which  Gilbert  indi- 
cated. In  a  few  minutes  the  scene  of  the  encounter 
had  been  left  some  distance  behind,  and  they  slack- 
ened their  pace. 

"  Here  is  an  open  warehouse,"  said  Luke  Striker. 
"  You  can  lay  him  here,  Larry.  There  is  water  just 
beyond,  and  I'll  run  down  and  see  if  I  can't  get 
some,"  and  the  Yankee  tar  started  for  one  of  the 
canals  running  into  the  Pasig. 

"  Oh,  my  head !  "  The  mutter  came  from  Ben, 
and  before  Striker  returned  he  opened  his  eyes  and 
tried  to  sit  up.  The  old  Yankee  brought  with  him 
some  water  in  a  tin  can  he  had  picked  up,  and  this 
revived  the  young  lieutenant  still  more. 

"  That  was  an  adventure  and  no  mistake,"  said 
Gilbert,  as  he  related  his  tale  to  the  others.  "  I 
never  thought  it  was  going  to  turn  out  like  that 
when  we  went  in  to  get  the  fish  chowder." 


AN  UPRISING  IN  THE   STREETS         ,         169 

"  We  must  be  more  careful  in  the  future,"  an- 
swered  Ben,  as  he  rubbed  the  lump  that  had  raised 
behind  his  left  ear.  "  These  Filipinos  mean  to  fight, 
if  once  they  get  the  chance." 

"  Oh,  they  are  treacherous  as  can  be,"  burst  out 
Striker.  "  Why,  only  last  week  two  of  our  soldiers 
were  found  in  the  trenches,  dead,  an'  stripped  of  all 
their  valuables.  Those  Tagals  did  that,  no  doubt 
on  it." 

It  was  fully  an  hour  before  they  left  the  ware- 
house, and  by  that  time  quietness  had  been  restored 
and  the  company  of  infantry  was  returning  to  its 
quarters.  But  on  every  corner  in  the  neighborhood 
the  guard  were  doubled,  and  the  shopkeepers  were 
ordered  to  keep  closed  up  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day.  What  had  become  of  those  who  had  fought 
with  Ben  and  Gilbert  there  was  no  telling. 

"I'm  out  my  pistol,"  said  the  young  lieutenant. 
"  But  never  mind,  I  have  another,  and  I'm  thankful 
that  my  head  wasn't  broken." 

"I'll  buy  you  a  new  pistol,  Ben,"  said  Gilbert. 
"I'm  responsible  for  the  loss  of  that  other,"  and 
then  in  the  darkness  he  squeezed  his  chum's  arm, 
and  that  squeeze  meant  a  good  deal. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

SOMETHING    ABOUT  MAJOR-GENERAL   OTIS   AND   HIS 
COMMAND 

On  the  following  day  Ben  and  his  comrades 
were  taken  out  for  a  review  by  Major-General  Otis, 
now  in  command,  and  for  a  parade  through  the 
main  street  of  old  Manila.  The  weather  was  ex- 
ceedingly hot,  but  by  eleven  o'clock  the  exercises 
were  over  and  the  soldier  boys  were  allowed  to 
do  as  they  pleased  until  sundown. 

"  I've  found  out  one  thing  since  I've  been  here," 
remarked  Gilbert,  as  he  and  the  young  lieutenant 
and  Larry  took  a  stroll  together.  "The  day  in 
Manila  usually  comes  to  an  end  at  noon.  In 
the  afternoon  everything  is  dead  and  half  the 
folks  go  to  sleep." 

"  They  can't  keep  it  up  like  people  in  a  cooler 
climate,"  returned  Ben.  "Larry,  how  did  you 
sleep  last  night  at  that  native  boarding-house  ? " 
he  went  on. 

170 


GENERAL   OTIS   AND   HIS   COMMAND  171 

"Slept  very  well  until  about  five  o'clock,  when 
I  was  awakened  by  a  cock  fight  that  was  going 
on  in  the  back  yard.  The  owner  of  the  boarding- 
house  keeps  game  cocks,  and  one  of  his  fowls  was 
having  it  out  with  a  rooster  from  next  door.  A 
crowd  of  about  a  dozen  natives  were  gathered 
around,  and  they  seemed  to  think  it  was  the  great- 
est fun  in  the  world,  and  they  set  up  a  roar  of 
laughter  when  one  of  the  fowls  fell  over  and  had 
to  be  carried  away." 

"  And  how  were  the  accommodations  —  good  ?  " 
"Pretty  fair.  I  had  a  large  square  room  with 
a  bare  floor.  The  bed,  an  old-fashioned  affair, 
with  a  braided  cord  bottom,  stood  in  the  centre, 
with  a  strip  of  Manila  matting  in  front  of  it. 
Outside  of  the  bed  there  wasn't  a  thing  in  the 
room  but  a  washstand,  a  chair,  and  some  wooden 
hooks  for  my  clothing.  Of  course  I  had  only  one 
thin  sheet,  but  that  was  more  than  I  wanted.  I 
told  the  folks  to  call  me  at  six  o'clock,  and  at 
that  time  one  of  the  boys  of  the  family  marched 
straight  into  the  room,  without  so  much  as  knock- 
ing on  the  door.  He  had  just  got  up  himself. 
He  asked  me  if  I  wanted  some  coffee  sent  up, 
but  I  told  him  no." 


172  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  And  what  did  you  have  for  breakfast  ?  "  went 
on  Ben,  who  was  deeply  interested  in  native  cus- 
toms and  was  sorry  he  had  had  no  more  chances 
to  study  them. 

"  We  had  baked  fish,  a  sort  of  mush,  rice  cakes, 
coffee,  and  several  kinds  of  fruit.  It  wasn't  much 
different  from  what  I've  had  before,  but  I  was 
quite  interested  in  seeing  them  prepare  the  food 
at  their  open  fire.  I  wonder  if  they  haven't  cook 
stoves  !  " 

"No  more  stoves  than  they  have  chimneys,"  re- 
joined Gilbert.  "Look  around,  and  I'll  wager 
you  won't  see  a  chimney.  It's  so  hot  that  what 
little  fire  is  needed  is  built  outdoors." 

"  The  house  I  stopped  at  was  supposed  to  be 
very  clean,"  went  on  the  young  sailor.  "  But 
for  all  that  I  saw  lots  of  bugs  and  the  like  around. 
Some  were  in  the  dining  room,  but  as  none  of 
the  old  boarders  appeared  to  mind  them,  I  thought 
it  best  not  to  say  anything." 

"In  hot  climates  you  are  certain  to  find  bugs, 
no  matter  where  you  go,"  said  Gilbert.  "That  is 
one  reason  why  they  don't  have  as  many  soft  pillows 
and  curtains  as  we  are  used  to.  A  species  of 
native  moth  eats  into  everything  and  ruins  it." 


GENERAL   OTIS   AND   HIS   COMMAND  173 

Larry's  time  was  short,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
day  was  spent  in  visiting  all  the  points  of  interest 
possible.  At  nightfall  the  young  sailor  returned 
to  his  ship ;  and  that  was  the  last  Ben  saw  of  his 
brother  for  some  time  to  come. 

The  next  day  was  Saturday,  February  the  fourth, 
—  the  day  when  the  regiment  to  which  Ben  be- 
longed was  to  be  sent  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
to  help  prevent  the  Filipinos  who  lay  outside  from 
sneaking  in  and  looting  Manila.  The  rebel  army, 
it  was  now  estimated,  numbered  at  least  twenty 
thousand  men,  and  spies  had  brought  in  word 
that  some  sort  of  a  demonstration  against  the 
American  forces  might  be  expected  at  any  mo- 
ment. 

At  this  time,  Uncle  Sam's  troops  in  the  Philip- 
pines were  designated  as  the  eighth  army  corps. 
They  were  under  the  immediate  command  of 
Major-General  Elwell  S.  Otis,  who  had  superseded 
General  Merritt,  and  were  divided  into  two  divi- 
sions, one  under  Major-General  Thomas  M.  Ander- 
son and  the  other  under  Major-General  Arthur 
MacArthur,  each  division  counting  two  brigades. 
The  army  was  composed  largely  of  regulars,  but 
there    were    many    volunteers    from    the    Western 


174  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

states  and  territories,  and  likewise  a  regiment  from 
Tennessee  and  another  from  Pennsylvania. 

Of  all  the  generals  in  our  army  at  this  time, 
General  Otis  was  considered  to  be  the  best  fitted 
for  our  campaign  in  the  Philippines.  He  was  a 
thorough  soldier,  having  been  drilled  in  the  best 
of  schools  —  that  of  war  itself.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  he  was  but  twenty-two  years  of 
age  and  just  entering  upon  the  profession  of  law. 
Casting  his  profession  aside,  he  raised  a  military 
company,  became  attached  to  a  New  York  volun- 
teer regiment,  and  from  that  time  forth  became  a 
soldier. 

His  first  great  service  was  at  Gettysburg,  where, 
after  most  desperate  fighting,  the  regiment  to  which 
his  company  belonged,  secured  Little  Round  Top 
mountain  to  the  Union  army.  Otis  then  became 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  as  such  fought  in  the  battle 
of  the  Wilderness.  Following  this  came  the  bloody 
contest  at  Spottsylvania,  where  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment  was  killed,  along  with  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  non-commissioned  staff,  and  then  Otis  be- 
came the  commander  of  the  regiment. 

From  the  Rapidan  to  the  James  River  Otis's 
command   fought   with   great   credit.      The   young 


GENERAL   OTIS    AND   HIS   COMMAND  175 

commander  was  daring  to  the  point  of  rashness, 
and  was  soon  placed  in  charge  of  an  entire  brigade. 
Up  to  this  time  he  had  received  no  wound  of  im- 
portance, but  in  the  gallant  charge  at  Chapel  House, 
Virginia,  he  was  shot  down,  the  wound  proving  so 
serious  that  further  service  during  the  war  was 
out  of  the  question. 

A  year  after  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  the  young 
fighter  joined  the  regular  army  as  a  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  twenty-second  regiment,  and  served 
faithfully  in  various  positions  for  ten  years,  when 
he  went  again  to  the  front,  this  time  against  the 
Indians  on  the  Powder  River,  near  the  Yellow- 
stone. Several  engagements  resulted,  and  finally 
the  Indians,  under  Sitting  Bull,  surrendered. 

The  country  was  now  at  peace  everywhere,  and 
Otis's  time  was  made  use  of  by  the  government  in 
serving  in  the  recruiting  service  and  in  assisting  to 
revise  the  Army  Regulations.  He  also  served  as 
commander  of  the  Department  of  the  Columbia  and 
commander  of  the  Department  of  Colorado.  When 
the  war  with  Spain  broke  out  he  was  presiding 
at  a  court-martial  being  held  in  Savannah,  Georgia. 
Immediately  after  Dewey's  great  victory  he  was 
appointed   major-general   of   volunteers,   and,   later 


176  UNDER  OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

on,  became  commander  of  the  Department  of  the 
Pacific,  and  Military  Governor  of  the  Philippines. 

It  was  no  light  duty  to  organize  an  army  for 
foreign  service  at  this  time.  With  the  exception 
of  Scott's  invasion  of  Mexico,  we  had  never  before 
equipped  regulars  and  volunteers  for  service  thou- 
sands of  miles  from  home,  and  especially  for  ser- 
vice at  a  point  where  we  had  no  permanent  base 
of  supplies.  Moreover,  the  knowledge  that  we  must 
do  this,  and  do  it  speedily,  came  largely  in  the 
nature  of  a  surprise,  even  to  the  administration. 
We  had  thought  to  send  all  of  our  soldiers  to 
Cuba, — possibly  some  to  the  coast  of  Spain,  —  but 
now  we  must  send  ten  to  thirty  thousand  men  half 
around  the  world. 

In  this  work  General  Otis  found  plenty  to  do. 
Expedition  after  expedition  was  sent  off,  as  pre- 
viously mentioned,  and  Manila  was  taken.  With 
the  fall  of  the  city  came  the  immense  task  of 
checking  the  raids  of  the  rebels,  restoring  order, 
feeding  not  only  our  soldiers  but  also  those  natives 
who  had  been  driven  into  the  town  and  were  starv- 
ing, and  in  opening  up  the  various  lines  of  com- 
merce and  trade.  In  order  to  do  the  latter  the 
Americans   had   to   operate   the   general   bank,   the 


GENERAL   OTIS   AND  HIS   COMMAND  177 

custom  house,  the  police,  fire,  and  health  depart- 
ments, and  also  the  postal  and  cable  services.  All 
was  strange ;  the  Spaniards  who  had  been  in  charge 
hated  to  give  up,  and  would  grant  no  assistance, 
and  rebel  sympathizers  who  thought  that  Manila 
ought  to  be  turned  over  to  Aguinaldo  did  all  they 
could  to  add  to  the  discomfort  of  the  Americans. 
Outbreaks  such  as  I  have  just  described  were  of 
almost  daily  occurrence,  and  there  was  a  rumor 
that  if  Aguinaldo  did  not  get  what  he  wanted, 
he  and  his  followers  would  burn  the  city  from  end 
to  end,  regardless  of  consequences. 

Such  was  the  situation  on  this  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten fourth  day  of  February,  1899,  which  was  to 
mark  the  beginning  of  a  war  that  was  to  drag  along 
for  an  almost  indefinite  period.  Aguinaldo  had 
made  his  last  demands  upon  the  government  at 
Washington,  and  been  refused  the  greater  part  of 
what  he  desired.  A  plan  was  laid  to  bring  on  a 
fight  which  was  to  extend  to  all  the  outskirts  of 
Manila.  At  the  same  time  word  was  secretly  sent 
for  the  natives  inside  of  the  city  to  do  all  they 
could  in  the  cause  of  Filipino  liberty.  This  meant 
to  burn  down  the  quarters  of  the  Americans,  and 
shoot  as  many  as  possible  of  the  troops. 


178  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Various  accounts  have  been  given  of  how  the 
first  shot  came  to  be  fired,  the  Filipinos  declaring 
that  they  were  not  in  the  least  to  blame  —  that 
the  Americans  fired  without  provocation,  when  it 
was  understood  by  both  sides  that  the  truce  was 
still  on.  The  following  statement  is,  however, 
probably  correct,  as  it  is  testified  to  by  several 
military  men  of  high  standing  in  our  army  in  the 
Philippines :  — 

Some  distance  to  the  eastward  «f  the  newer 
portion  of  Manila  is  situated  the  district  of  Santa 
Mesa,  a  collection  of  small  houses  located  between 
several  cross-roads.  From  Manila  there  is  almost 
a  straight  road  to  this  place,  and  beyond  is  a  level 
plain,  dotted  here  and  there  with  bamboo  huts  and 
the  various  block-houses  used  by  the  Spaniards 
during  their  occupation  of  the  islands. 

Between  Manila  and  Santa  Mesa  lay  the  camp 
of  some  troops  from  Nebraska,  and  some  distance 
beyond  were  gathered  a  number  of  the  rebels, 
occupying  the  block-houses  just  mentioned,  and  all 
of  the  available  thickets.  The  insurgents  were 
also  collected  on  the  hill  of  San  Juan,  where  are 
located   the   reservoirs  and  waterworks  of   Manila. 

Between    the    two    camps    lay    a    small    village 


GENERAL   OTIS   AND   HIS   COMMAND  179 

which  had  been  declared  neutral  ground.  A  few 
days  before  the  fighting  began  the  Filipinos 
swarmed  into  the  village  and  took  possession  of 
it.  The  Americans  at  once  ordered  them  to  va- 
cate, but  they  refused.  On  the  day  following 
some  soldiers  were  sent  forward  to  clean  the 
village  out.  They  advanced  to  the  first  line  of 
houses  and  beheld  the  Filipinos  coming  up  the 
street. 

"  Halt  !  "  was  the  command  given,  but  the  rebels 
would  not  halt.  "  Halt  !  "  came  again.  "  You 
have  no  right  here.  You  must  go  back,  —  and 
then  we  will  go  back." 

"  We  won't  go  back  !  "  was  the  answer,  and  a 
wild  cry  arose,  and  the  rebels  raised  their  guns. 
But  the  American  detachment  was  too  quick  for 
them,  and  an  opening  volley  brought  down  two 
Filipinos.  Then  the  rebels  discharged  their 
weapons,  and  some  of  our  men  went  down.  The 
Filipinos  who  were  coming  up  outnumbered  our 
men  four  to  one,  and  soon  the  Americans  retreated 
to  their  camp,  the  enemy  following  them  for  a 
short  distance  and  then  retiring. 

This  was  the  spark  from  which  a  great  fire 
was  kindled.     Hardly  had  the  first  shot   rung  out 


180  UNDEK   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

when  there  came  a  signal  from  one  of  the  enemy's 
block-houses,  followed  by  a  blaze  of  fire  from  a 
long  line  of  intrenchments  and  from  several  field- 
pieces.  This  first  onslaught  was  directed  toward 
the  Nebraska  soldiers,  but  soon  the  firing  extended 
to  the  whole  line,  in  a  grand  semicircle  of  flame 
and  smoke ;  and  then  the  Americans  knew  that  a 
great  battle  was  on  at  last. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  REBEL  ATTACK  UPON  THE  CITY 

Ben's  regiment  had  gone  into  camp  in  a  most 
picturesque  spot  overlooking  a  tiny  stream  that 
flowed  into  the  Pasig  River.  On  either  side  the 
stream  was  lined  with  tropical  trees  and  brush, 
while  some  distance  away  from  the  opposite  shore 
was  a  considerable  plain,  a  small  portion  of  which 
had  once  been  a  rice  field  and  which  was  still 
under  water  to  the  depth  of  several  inches. 

The  picket  line  of  the  regiment  extended  for  a 
distance  of  half  a  mile  up  and  down  the  stream, 
and  where  the  thickets  were  not  sufficient,  rifle 
pits  had  been  dug  or  intrenchments  thrown  up. 
The  tents  were  placed  behind  a  dense  grove  of 
cedar  trees,  so  that  they  were  comparatively  safe 
from  shot  or  shell. 

The  insurgents  had  thrown  up  a  series  of  in- 
trenchments on  the  farthest  side  of  the  rice 
field  and  along  the  top   of    a  small   hill   rising   to 

181 


182  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

the  northwest.  Directly  on  the  top  of  the  hill 
was  a  small  field-piece.  This  had  not  yet  been 
fired,  but  as  it  was  known  that  the  Filipinos  were 
deficient  in  gunnery,  no  great  harm  was  expected 
from  it. 

The  company  to  which  the  young  lieutenant 
belonged  was  well  drilled  in  every  duty  of  the 
American  soldier,  and  as  the  baggage  wagon,  drawn 
by  water  buffaloes,  accompanied  the  troops,  the 
men  were  not  long  in  staking  out  the  ground, 
putting  up  their  tents,  and  rendering  themselves 
otherwise  at  home. 

"  Sure,  an'  I  suppose  we're  booked  to  sthay  here 
fer  a  couple  of  months,  at  least,  eh,  lieutenant  ? " 
remarked  Dan  Casey,  as  he  brought  in  some  palm 
leaves  to  place  on  the  floor  of  the  tent  he  and 
Stummer  were  to  occupy. 

"  I  can't  say  how  long  we'll  remain,  Casey  — 
until  the  Filipinos  stir  us  up,  I  presume." 

"  Maybe  dem  rebels  ton't  got  packpone  enough 
to  stir  us  up,"  put  in  Carl  Stummer.  "  I  vos 
vatch  von  of  dem  fellers  down  py  Manila,  und  all 
he  do  vas  to  eat,  drink,  schmoke,  und  make  dem 
chickens  he  vos  got  fight.  I  tole  you  dot  vos 
make   me   tired,  und  I  vos  vant   to  shake  him  up 


THE  EEBEL  ATTACK  UPON  THE  CITY     183 

und  tell  hhn  to  go  to  vork,"  and  the  German 
volunteer  shook  his  head  determinedly. 

"We  may  catch  it  before  we  are  aware,  Carl. 
Orders  have  just  been  received  to  be  extra  care- 
ful on  the  picket  line,"  answered  Ben,  as  he  turned 
away  to  consult  Captain  Larchmore,  concerning 
the  digging  of  some  new  intrenchment  closer  to 
the  water's  edge. 

The  soldiers  of  the  regiment  had  been  told  that 
Saturday  nights  were  usually  gay  ones  in  the  city, 
and  some  grumbled  that  they  had  not  been  per- 
mitted to  remain  in  Manila  until  the  following 
Monday.  "  We  can  do  nothing  here  but  lie 
around  and  get  sunburned,"  said  one  of  the  num- 
ber. 

Evening  found  Ben  walking  along  the  newly 
dug  intrenchment.  The  stream  beyond  was  not 
very  deep,  and  he  was  thinking  of  looking  for  a 
place  where  he  might  ford  to  the  opposite  shore 
and  go  on  a  short  tour  of  discovery,  when  a  dis- 
tant shot  reached  his  ears.  Stopping  short  in  his 
walk,  he  raised  his  head  and  listened.  The  shot 
was  followed  by  several  others,  and  then  came  a 
rolling  volley. 

"A  figfr;  has  started  somewhere,"  he  muttered. 


184  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  It  seems  to  be  a  good  way  off.  I  wonder  if  it 
will  extend  to  here,  or  if  we'll  be  called  out  to 
support  some  other  command." 

Crack  !  bang  !  The  reports  were  so  unexpected 
that  the  young  lieutenant  had  no  time  to  seek 
shelter.  The  rebels  behind  the  rice  field  had 
opened  fire,  and  two  bullets  clipped  the  tree  under 
which  he  was  standing,  while  a  third  wounded  one 
of  the  pickets  in  the  left  shoulder. 

There  was  no  need  to  give  the  alarm,  for  the 
volley  aroused  the  whole  camp.  There  was  a  rapid 
call  to  quarters,  and  inside  of  five  minutes  the  regi- 
ment was  ready  for  duty.  Each  battalion  was 
marched  to  the  front  separately,  and  the  formation 
of  it  was  two  companies  wide  and  two  deep. 

With  the  firing  of  their  guns  the  insurgents 
had  left  the  cover  of  the  brush,  and  were  now 
coming  on,  yelling  like  so  many  demons.  When 
the  regiment  reached  the  picket  line  the  enemy  was 
in  the  middle  of  the  plain  and  ready  to  fire  again. 

"  Keep  cool,  men,"  came  in  a  low  but  clear  voice 
from  Captain  Larchmore.  And  a  similar  caution 
was  passed  from  end  to  end  of  the  long  line.  The 
men  had  already  loaded,  and  some  wanted  to  fire 
at  once,  but  permission  was  refused. 


THE  REBEL   ATTACK  UPON   THE   CITY  185 

It  was  thought  that  the  Filipinos  were  coming 
straight  on,  and  so  far  they  had  done  so.  But 
when  in  the  centre  of  the  plain  they  switched  off 
to  the  northwest,  evidently  thinking  to  turn  the 
Americans'  left  flank,  since  at  this  point  there 
was  a  small  break  in  the  latter's  defences. 

"  Fire !  "  came  the  command,  and  one  company 
after  another  blazed  away,  Ben  using  his  pistol  and 
aiming  at  a  form  which  appeared  to  be  leading  one 
of  the  enemy's  detachments.  He  saw  the  form 
stagger  and  go  down,  but  whether  the  rebel  was 
seriously  hurt  or  not  he  could  not  tell. 

The  volley  from  the  Americans  filled  the  wood 
by  the  stream  full  of  smoke,  and  as  it  was  already 
dark,  but  little  could  be  seen  during  several  min- 
utes that  followed.  But  the  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment did  not  lose  any  time  in  thinking. 

"You  will  double-quick  your  command  to  the 
left,"  he  said  to  the  major  of  the  senior  battalion, 
and  soon  the  first  four  companies  were  moving  to 
the  defenceless  spot  just  mentioned.  It  was  a  bit 
of  rough  ground,  full  of  tufts  of  rank  grass  and 
boggy  holes,  and  the  men  had  to  pick  their  way 
with  caution. 

Ben's  company  occupied  an  open  space  between 


186  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

two  solitary  palms,  with  some  brush  to  the  rear  of 
them.  Hardly  had  they  wheeled  into  position  when 
the  order  came  to  fire  at  will,  and  crack !  crack  ! 
went  the  Springfield  rifles,  spitting  out  their  fire 
spitefully,  and  causing  fully  a  dozen  Filipinos  to 
go  down.  Then  came  rapid  firing  from  the  other 
side,  but  the  rebel  aim  was  high,  and  but  little 
damage  was  done  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  were 
battling  for  the  honor  of  Old  Glory. 

"  Sure,  an'  we're  in  it  at  last ! "  shouted  Dan 
Casey.  "  Take  that,  ye  haythin  nager  !  "  And  he 
pulled  his  trigger  on  a  wild-looking  Filipino  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  fellow  throw  away 
his  gun  and  limp  to  the  rear. 

"  Stand  firm  !  "  It  was  the  cry  of  Major  Morris 
of  the  battalion,  and  scarcely  had  it  been  issued  when 
the  rebels  flung  themselves  headlong  at  the  first  two 
companies.  They  came  on  with  fixed  bayonets, 
swords,  and  long  sugar-cane  knives,  and  the  shock 
was  a  heavy  one.  Most  of  them  wore  but  little 
clothing,  and  as  their  forms  were  dark  they  could 
scarcely  be  distinguished  in  the  night. 

Such  bravery  was  certainly  worthy  of  a  better 
cause.  But  the  Americans  were  now  on  their 
mettle,  and  fired  as  rapidly  as  they  could,  retreating 


THE  REBEL  ATTACK  UPON  THE  CITY    187 

to  the  brush  only  to  reload.  In  the  meantime  the 
second  battalion  had  been  ordered  still  further  to 
the  left,  and  now  the  rebels  were  caught  between 
two  fires.  They  stood  this  for  perhaps  five  minutes, 
then  broke  and  ran  for  the  rice  field  with  all  the 
power  of  their  sturdy  legs. 

"  After  them,  men  ;  we  must  teach  them  a  lesson 
they  won't  forget  !  "  shouted  the  colonel  of  the  reg- 
iment, who  had  served  in  Porto  Rico  and  who  was 
anxious  to  make  a  record  for  himself  here.  And 
away  went  the  second  battalion,  followed  by  the 
first,  while  the  third  remained  where  it  had  been 
originally  stationed,  with  orders  to  spread  out  and 
cover  as  much  of  the  picket  line  as  possible. 

"  Those  men  are  bound  to  get  into  Manila  to- 
night, if  the  trick  can  be  done,"  remarked  Captain 
Larchmore  to  Ben,  as  they  swept  along,  with  Lieu- 
tenant David,  Ross  near  them.  "  Just  listen  to  the 
crack  of  musketry  on  all  sides.  I'll  wager  our  en- 
tire line  from  north  to  south  is  in  this." 

"I  belie"ve  you,  and  if  all  the  rebels  are  as  dash- 
ing as  those  we  just  beat  off,  there  is  hot  work  on 
hand,"  answered  Ross.     "  Eh,  Russell  ?  " 

"  Well,  all  we  can  do  is  to  take  care  of  our  share 
of  it,"   rejoined   the    young    lieutenant.      "Hullo, 


188  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

those  fellows  are  up  to  some  new  move  !  "  he  added, 
a  second  later. 

The  rice  field  had  been  passed  by  the  insurgents, 
and  now  they  disappeared  into  some  brush  which 
was  backed  up  by  the  hill  upon  which  rested  their 
small  field-piece.  Soon  the  Americans  were  in  the 
field  after  them,  sinking  up  to  their  ankles  in  the 
mud  and  water. 

"Tell  you  vot,  dis  ain't  so  fine,"  growled  Carl 
Stummer.  "  Maype  of  ve  ton't  been  careful  ve  go 
ofer  our  heads  alretty,  hey  ?  " 

"  Sure,  an'  it  ain't  no  worse  nor  it  was  in  Cuby," 
answered  Dan  Casey.  "  Come  on  an'  let  us  lick 
thim  haythin  out  av  their  boots  before  th'  sun 
comes  up." 

"  Out  of  dare  poots  vos  goot !  "  roared  Stummer. 
"  Da  must  haf  peen  licked  out  of  dem  poots  alretty, 
for  all  I  seen  of  dem  vos  parefooted,  ha  !  ha  ! "  And 
the  laugh  became  so  general  that  poor  Casey  got 
quite  angry  and  said  nothing  more  for  the  best  part 
of  an  Jiour.  Carl  was  right ;  many  of  the  insurgents 
were  barefooted,  and  not  over  three-quarters  were 
properly  equipped  and  trained  as  soldiers.  Yet  all 
of  them,  from  the  Igorrote  spearmen  to  the  Tagalos 
sharpshooters,  knew  how  to  fight. 


THE  REBEL  ATTACK  UPON  THE  CITY    189 

"I  believe  they  are  making  their  way  back  to 
where  they  left  that  field-piece,"  said  Captain 
Larchmore,  as  he  ordered  his  company  to  move 
slowly  to  the  centre  of  the  rice  field. 

"  It's  so  dark  I  can't  see  them  any  more,"  put 
in  Ross.  "I  didn't  think  they  would  attack  us 
at  night." 

"  That's  a  way  all  Malayan  races  have,  Dave," 
answered  the  captain.  "  Indians  do  the  same  thing. 
If  they  break  through  the  lines  anywhere,  Heaven 
be  merciful  to  the  Americans  left  in  Manila ! 
They'll  murder  every  soul !  " 

"I  think  one  reason  they  attacked  us  in  the 
dark  is  because  they  knew  the  warships  in  the 
harbor  couldn't  assist  us.  By  daylight  Dewey 
will  get  the  range  of  them  and  make  it  warm ; 
see  if  he  doesn't,"  was  Ben's  comment.  "  Listen  !  I 
can't  see  or  hear  anything  of  them  now,  can  you  ?  " 

Captain  Larchmore  brought  his  company  to  a 
halt,  and  soon  the  whole  battalion  came  to  a 
stop.  Ben  was  right ;  the  Filipinos  had  entered 
the  brush  as  silently  as  so  many  shadows.  Not 
another  shot  was  fired  by  them,  and  it  looked  as 
if  they  were  defeated  and  the  engagement  was  at 
an  end. 


190  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Somewhat  perplexed,  the  commands  remained  at 
attention  for  nearly  quarter  of  an  hour.  Then, 
fearing  treachery,  the  colonel  ordered  all  of  the 
companies  back  to  the  trenches  and  rifle-pits. 
These  gained,  a  hasty  list  of  those  who  had  been 
shot  was  made,  and  it  was  found  that  one  man 
had  been  killed  outright  and  four  were  more  or 
less  seriously  wounded.  One  man,  a  sergeant  of 
Company  B,  was  reported  missing. 

"And  who  is  it?"  asked  Ben,  and  his  heart 
beat  quickly  for  fear  he  was  about  to  hear  bad 
news. 

"Gilbert  Pennington,"  was  the  dismaying  an- 
swer. 

"And  they  don't  know  where  he  is?" 

"  No ;  he  marched  out  into  the  rice  field  and 
he  didn't  come  back,  and  they  can't  find  his  body 
anywhere,"  was  the  brief  reply;  and  the  young 
lieutenant  walked  away,  his  heart  sinking  like  a 
lump  of  lead  within  him. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  SECOND  DAY  OF  THE  ATTACK 

Fkom  a  little  point  near  Santa  Mesa,  the  battle 
had  gradually  extended  from  the  Tondo  district 
of  Manila  on  the  north  to  the  fortifications  of  Ma- 
late  on  the  south,  a  distance  of  over  seventeen 
miles. 

In  the  city  a  good  deal  of  alarm  was  felt.  All 
the  government  buildings  were  closely  guarded  to 
prevent  them  from  being  set  on  fire  ;  extra  guards 
were  stationed  everywhere,  to  keep  the  natives 
indoors,  all  places  of  amusement  were  summarily 
closed,  the  street  cars  were  stopped,  and  all  the 
American  women  and  children  who  cared  to  go 
were  taken  on  board  of  several  of  the  transports 
lying  in  the  harbor.  After  ten  o'clock  the  only 
sound  that  broke  the  stillness  of  Manila  was  the 
steady  tramp,  tramp  of  the  soldiers  as  they  moved 
from  one  section  to  another  or  started  for  the 
outskirts. 

101 


192  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

The  outbreak  had  occurred  at  a  quarter  to  nine. 
It  lasted  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  and  then 
all  became  silent  until  about  half-past  ten,  when 
the  Filipinos  tried  to  bring  an  old  howitzer  and 
several  other  field-guns  into  play,  but  with  little 
success.  They  had  now  concentrated  their  forces 
at  Santa  Mesa,  previously  spoken  of,  Caloocan,  to 
the  northward,  and  at  Galingatin.  Occasional  fir- 
ing continued  until  about  four  o'clock  Sunday 
morning,  when  another  fierce  attack  was  made,  but 
without  success.  At  daybreak  the  American  forces 
received  orders  to  advance  all  along  the  line.  At 
the  same  time  the  Monadnock  began  shelling  the 
Filipinos  on  the  south  shore,  while  other  vessels 
under  Dewey's  command  shelled  the  rebels  con- 
centrating around  Caloocan. 

One  of  the  first  advances  to  be  made  on  Sunday 
was  that  by  the  Nebraskans  who  had  been  instru- 
mental in  bringing  on  the  general  engagement. 
Long  before  it  was  daylight,  they  had  advanced 
well  toward  San  Juan  hill,  hoping  to  take  the 
water  works.  Aided  by  a  Utah  battery,  they 
took  a  strong  position  overlooking  the  bridge  upon 
which  the  Filipinos  had  concentrated.  As  day 
came   on,    one   fierce    skirmish   after    another   took 


THE  SECOND  DAY  OF  THE  ATTACK     193 

place,  but  the  Americans  advanced  steadily,  took 
the  bridge  and  held  it,  and  at  last  gained  the  hill 
itself,  being  reenforced  by  another  battery,  and  a 
battalion  of  Tennessee  volunteers.  The  Filipinos, 
however,  were  not  subdued,  and  simply  retired  to 
another  hill,  a  short  distance  to  the  northeast. 

To  the  southeast  the  rebels  had  made  a  strong 
stand  at  what  was  called  Paco  Church.  The  road 
leading  to  this  place  was  thickly  lined  with  bam- 
boo huts,  and  in  these  the  Filipino  sharpshooters 
secreted  themselves,  firing  on  a  small  body  of 
Americans  at  first  and  killing  the  driver  of  a  car- 
riage and  putting  their  bullets  into  an  ambulance 
belonging  to  the  Red  Cross  Society.  A  reserve 
force,  consisting  of  several  companies  of  Califor- 
nians,  were  sent  after  the  sharpshooters,  who  were 
rooted  out,  and  who  then  fled  to  the  church  and 
convent  at  Paco.  Here  the  Californians  continued 
to  fire  at  them,  while  a  battery,  the  Sixth  Artillery, 
shelled  the  church  and  knocked  in  a  portion  of  the 
roof.  Finally,  the  building  was  set  on  fire,  and 
the  Filipinos  fled,  leaving  large  numbers  of  dead 
and  wounded  behind  them. 

Such  was  the  main  fighting  to  the  eastward. 
Down  on  the  south  shore,  near  Singalon,  the  fight- 


194  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

ing  was  just  as  fierce.  Here  the  highway  was  a 
narrow  one,  with  a  veritable  jungle  of  brush  upon 
either  side,  and  here  the  Fourteenth  United  States 
Regulars  were  caught  and  would  have  been  anni- 
hilated, had  it  not  been  for  the  opportune  arrival 
of  other  troops.  The  fighting  of  the  rebels  was 
worthy  of  a  better  cause,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they 
would  never  be  driven  back,  but  would  instead 
make  a  straight  rush  into  Manila.  But  at  last, 
with  a  battalion  of  Americans  in  front  of  them, 
the  right  wing  of  General  Ovenshine's  brigade  at 
their  flank,  and  the  Monterey  shelling  them  at  a 
distance,  they  gave  up  their  intrenchments  one 
after  another  and  fled  into  the  jungle  and  to  a 
village  four  miles  away. 

Along  the  winding  Pasig  the  battle  was  waged 
with  equal  vigor.  This  stream  is  built  up  for  sev- 
eral miles  beyond  Manila  proper,  and  the  bamboo 
houses  along  its  banks  contained  rebels  and  those 
who  were  secretly  in  sympathy  with  Aguinaldo's 
forces.  To  clean  out  such  a  "  nest "  was  no  light 
work,  for  while  wanting  to  get  at  all  who  were 
in  the  fight  the  Americans  did  not  desire  to  harm 
the  non-combatants  or  the  women  and  children. 
Hence   the    fighting    was    long   drawn   out,   and   a 


THE   SECOND  DAY  OF  THE   ATTACK  195 

large  number  of  huts  were  burned  down  and  other 
property  destroyed.  The  non-combatants  fled  into 
Manila,  carrying  white  rags,  and  these  signals  of 
peace  were  flown  from  the  houses  in  the  city 
where  they  took  refuge. 

On  the  north  of  the  city  the  fight  was  for  what 
is  known  as  Cemetery  Ridge,  a  long  stretch  of 
upland,  covered  here  and  there  with  groves  of 
trees  and  tropical  brush,  and  at  other  points  with 
neglected  plantations.  Toward  the  top  of  the  hill 
is  a  large  cemetery,  and  near  it  the  Binondo 
church,  with  a  Chinese  church  not  far  off. 
Through  this  territory  a  well-kept  road  runs  into 
Caloocan,  lined  on  both  sides  with  huts  and  houses, 
the  greater  portion  of  them  deserted.  Here  is 
also  located  the  only  railroad  in  the  island  of 
Luzon,  a  single-track  affair  running  to  several 
cities  and  towns  still  further  north. 

On  Sunday  morning  the  advance  northward  was 
made  by  five  distinct  commands  :  the  Kansas  vol- 
unteers, who  acted  close  to  the  water's  edge,  next 
some  regular  artillery,  but  without  guns,  and  then 
the  volunteers  from  Montana,  Pennsylvania,  and 
South  Dakota.  Once  again  the  company  to  which 
Ben  belonged  found  itself  on  the  firing  line,  and 


196  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

at  nine  o'clock  came  the  order  for  the  first  and 
second  battalions  to  advance,  the  third  battalion 
being  held  in  reserve. 

"  It's  rather  tough,  after  a  night  without  sleep," 
remarked  Lieutenant  Ross.  "  But  I  suppose  it's  best 
to  follow  these  rebels  up,  now  we  have  started  in." 

"  If  we  don't  follow  them  up,  they'll  be  right 
down  on  top  of  us  again,"  answered  Ben.  "I 
go  in  for  giving  them  a  sound  thrashing.  It's 
the  only  way  to  bring  them  to  terms.  By  the 
way,  I  wonder  if  they  have  heard  anything  more 
about  Gilbert  Pennington." 

"They  found  his  gun  down  in  that  rice  field. 
The  rebels  are  hard  up  for  weapons,  but  they  won't 
take  our  Springfields.  They  want  Mauser  rifles, 
or  none  at  all.  I  reckon  they  think  our  old  guns 
make  too  much  smoke,"  concluded  Ross  and  hurried 
off  to  the  field. 

Ever  since  Gilbert  had  been  reported  missing, 
Ben  had  worried  about  his  chum.  Had  it  been 
possible,  he  would  have  gone  off  on  a  still  hunt  for 
the  Southerner,  but  at  present  every  officer  and 
man  was  needed  in  the  ranks.  I'll  try  to  get  off 
as  soon  as  fighting  comes  to  an  end  for  the  day," 
he  said  to  himself. 


THE   SECOND  DAY   OF   THE  ATTACK  197 

The  first  battalion  was  spread  out  to  a  con- 
siderable distance  along  the  small  stream  previously 
mentioned.  Since  sunrise  not  an  insurgent  had 
appeared  in  sight,  and  for  over  two  hours  not  a 
single  shot  had  been  fired  in  the  vicinity.  But 
all  felt  that  this  was  the  calm  before  the  storm. 

"  Boys,  we  are  going  across  yonder  rice  field," 
sang  out  Major  Morris.  "  If  the  rebels  show  them- 
selves, fire  at  will.     Forward  —  March!  " 

"Forward  —  March!"  repeated  Captain  Larch- 
more,  and  away  went  Company  D,  on  the  left 
flank,  with  Company  H  of  the  second  battalion 
directly  behind  it.  The  brook  had  scarcely  been 
crossed,  than  there  came  a  crack  of  Mausers  from 
the  jungle  of  brush  far  ahead,  and  one  man  went 
down,  hit  in  the  leg. 

The  opening  fire  of  the  Filipinos  was  answered 
by  a  rallying  cry  from  the  Americans,  and  an 
almost  solid  volley  was  fired  in  return.  Whether 
or  not  it  was  effective  could  not  then  be  ascer- 
tained. The  advance  was  now  increased  to  a 
double  quick,  and  shooting  became  general  upon 
both  sides. 

"Sure,  an'  this  bes  a  great  battlefield!"  cried 
Dan  Casey,  as   he  sank   up  to   his    ankles   in   the 


198  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

sticky  mud.  "It's  worse  nor  the  bogs  av  ould 
Ireland,  so  it  is!  " 

"Neffer  mind,  Dan,  I  vos  haul  you  out!" 
answered  Stummer.  And  slinging  his  rifle  over 
his  shoulder  he  pulled  so  hard  that  when  Casey 
came  out,  the  German  volunteer  slipped  back  and 
went  flat. 

"  Now,  bedad,  ye  have  done  it ! "  howled  the 
Irishman.  "  Here,  up  ye  come,  an'  none  the  worse 
fer  the  wather  an'  mud  on  yer  back!  Forward, 
an'  don't  let  that  cartridge  belt  slip  away,  or  that 
ould  smoke-maker  will  be  no  good  to  yez!  "  And 
he  buckled  up  Stummer's  belt.  The  fall  had 
caused  a  break  in  the  advancing  line,  but  this  was 
not  noticed,  as  breaks  soon  became  general,  al- 
though more  or  less  of  a  straight  front  was  con- 
stantly maintained. 

As  the  Americans  came  closer  to  the  brush  the 
rebels  increased  their  fire,  and  several  additional 
men  went  down.  But  the  streaks  of  fire  from  the 
Mausers  could  now  be  seen  distinctly,  and  each 
became  a  target  for  one  or  more  American  bullets. 

"Let  them  have  it,  men  —  don't  falter!"  cried 
Captain  Larchmore.  "  We  will  soon  be  under 
shelter.     Come   on!"     And    he   led  the   way,   fol- 


THE  SECOND  DAY  OF  THE  ATTACK     199 

lowed  by  his  first  lieutenant  and  by  Ben,  all 
anxious  to  get  into  the  fray. 

The  shooting  was  now  at  such  close  range  that 
orders  came  to  drop,  and  down  went  the  long 
line,  at  first  on  one  knee  and  then  flat  on  the 
men's  chests.  Just  ahead  was  a  little  bank  of 
dirt,  thrown  up  from  a  ditch  to  one  side  of  the 
rice  field,  and  this  offered  a  small  but  welcome 
shelter  during  the  time  that  the  command  stopped 
to  get  its  second  wind. 

"Those  fellows  are  stubborn  fighters,"  whis- 
pered Captain  Larchmore  to  Ben.  "  They  are 
doing  better  than  I  expected.  It  is  going  to  be 
no  picnic  cleaning  out  yonder  jungle." 

"There  is  a  rise  of  ground  just  ahead,"  answered 
the  young  lieutenant.  "  Have  you  any  idea  what 
is  beyond?" 

"Another  plain  and  an  abandoned  plantation. 
Following  that  comes  a  second  hill,  and  further  on 
is  the  cemetery  and  the  Binondo  church.  One  of 
the  scouts  told  the  major  that  that  next  field  is 
cut  up  by  wire  fences." 

"That  makes  it  bad,  captain.  I  had  all  I  want 
of  wire  fencing  at  San  Juan  in  Cuba.  At  one  of 
the   fences   the   Spanish  had   put   up   we   lost   the 


200  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

majority  of  those  that  went  under.  But  it  can't 
be  helped,  and  we'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it," 
concluded  Ben,  as  he  leaped  to  his  proper  position 
again,  as  the  bugle  sounded  the  command  for 
another  advance. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE   TAKING   OF   CEMETERY   RIDGE 

The  firing  was  now  general  for  a  distance  of 
over  a  dozen  miles,  and  several  of  the  warships 
in  the  bay  were  making  matters  as  lively  as  pos- 
sible for  the  insurgents.  But  the  rebels  had  one 
advantage  :  they  knew  the  ground  they  were  trav- 
ersing thoroughly,  and  when  they  retreated  they 
did  all  they  could  to  lead  the  Americans  into  dan- 
gerous swamps  and  open  plains,  while  they  them- 
selves took  to  the  jungle,  the  hills,  and  other  points 
where  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  could  not  easily 
find  them. 

But  our  soldiers  had  waited  too  long  for  this 
opening  of  hostilities  to  hold  back,  no  matter  what 
the  consequences.  Those  who  had  lain  in  the 
trenches  for  months,  in  burning  sunshine  and  piti- 
less rain,  were  wild  to  "pitch  in,"  and  nothing 
could  stop  them  from  making  long  advances  in 
every  direction.     "We'll   show  the  rebels  that  we 

201 


202  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

can  wax  'em,  if  only  we're  allowed  to  do  it,"  said 
one  old  regular  from  Idaho,  and  his  words  expressed 
the  sentiment  of  his  whole  company. 

From  the  trench  in  the  rice  field  the  distance 
to  the  nearest  brush  was  less  than  sixty  yards,  yet 
to  cover  this  space  was  extremely  perilous,  and  all 
those  in  the  first  battalion  realized  it  only  too 
well. 

"Sure,  an'  thim  nagers  is  onto  us,"  muttered 
Casey,  as  he  hopped  up.     "  See  that,  now  !  " 

"  Down !  "  came  the  cry,  when  less  than  half  the 
distance  had  been  covered,  and  down  the  command 
went,  while  a  perfect  storm  of  bullets  swept 
over  the  men's  heads.  Before  the  rebels  could  fire 
again,  the  Americans  had  discharged  a  volley  in 
return,  and  the  first  fringe  of  brush  was  gained. 
Seeing  this,  the  insurgents  took  to  the  jungle  lead- 
ing up  to  the  hill  upon  which  the  cemetery  already 
described  was  located. 

The  sun  was  under  a  cloud,  and  it  looked  as  if 
it  would  rain,  but  even  in  the  shadow  of  the  tropi- 
cal trees  the  air  was  stifling.  Already  some  of  the 
soldiers  had  thrown  away  their  blanket  rolls,  and 
now  more  followed.  "  I've  got  to  do  it,  or  fall  be- 
hind !  "  panted  one  private  to  Ben,  when  the  second 


THE  TAKING   OF   CEMETERY  RIDGE  203 

lieutenant  expostulated.  "  This  heat  is  killing !  " 
Others  said  the  same,  and  the  rolls  were  left  where 
they  fell,  to  be  hunted  for  later  on,  when  the  ad- 
vance should  be  a  thing  of  the  past. 

It  was  now  that  Ben  got  his  first  taste  of  a 
genuine  tropical  jungle,  with  its  palms  and  plan- 
tains, enormous  ferns,  gum  trees,  mangoes,  guavas, 
oranges,  and  citrons,  all  interlaced  with  the  palasan, 
a  thick  vine  which  grows  to  the  length  of  several 
hundred  feet,  and  which  gives  forth  a  rank  odor 
when  crushed  under  foot.  The  soil  was  black,  in 
some  places  little  better  than  muck,  and  when  dis- 
turbed showed  itself  to  be  full  of  beetles,  ants, 
lizards,  toads,  and  various  other  insects  and  small 
animals,  as  well  as  snakes. 

"  This  beats  Cuba,"  said  Ben.  "  Even  the  jungle 
at  La  Guasima  wasn't  as  bad  as  this."  He  won- 
dered if  they  would  ever  get  through,  but  said 
nothing  on  that  point,  not  wishing  to  discourage 
the  men  under  him. 

"  The  rebels  have  turned  to  the  left,"  announced 
Captain  Larchmore,  after  receiving  the  news  from 
an  advanced  guard  composed  of  three  picked  sharp- 
shooters. "I  believe  there  is  something  of  a  road 
in  that  direction.     We'll  try  it  and  see." 


204      |        UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"They  may  be  leading  us  into  a  trap,"  muttered 
Ross. 

"We'll  go  slow,"  answered  the  commander,  and 
on  they  went,  breaking  through  the  brush  as  best 
they  could.  In  some  spots  swords  and  pocket 
knives  had  to  be  used  freely. 

"  There  is  somebody  crying  for  help  ! "  exclaimed 
Ben,  as  a  faint  moan  reached  his  ears.  He  moved 
in  the  direction  of  the  sound  and  found  a  wounded 
Filipino  propped  up  against  the  roots  of  a  mango 
tree.  The  man's  eyes  had  a  glassy  stare  and  it 
was  easy  to  see  that  he  was  dying. 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  you  ?  "  asked  Ben,  kindly, 
and  pointed  to  his  canteen,  half  filled  with  water. 
But  at  this  the  insurgent  shook  his  head  fiercely. 
Then  suddenly  he  picked  up  his  rifle  with  one 
hand,  pointed  the  muzzle  toward  the  young  lieu- 
tenant, and  pulled  the  trigger. 

Had  the  weapon  been  loaded,  Ben  would  have 
been  killed  on  the  spot.  But  luckily  the  Mauser 
was  empty,  and  nothing  but  the  snapping  of  the 
trigger  to  the  weapon  followed.  "  You  treacher- 
ous rascal !  "  cried  Ben,  when,  throwing  up  both 
arms,  the  Filipino  fell  over  on  his  face,  dead.  At 
first  the  young  soldier   thought   he  was   shamming 


"  He's  a  goner,  lieutenant."  —  Page  204. 


THE  TAKING   OF   CEMETERY   RIDGE  205 

and  drew  his  pistol  in  order  to  avoid  further  treach- 
ery, but  Casey  came  rushing  up  and  turned  the 
dead  man  over  with  his  gun,  and  Ben  readily  saw 
that  life  was  indeed  extinct. 

"  He's  a  goner,  lieutenant,"  said  the  Irish  volun- 
teer.    "He  saved  me  the  trouble  av  killin'  him." 

"  He  was  a  bad  one,  that's  certain,"  murmured 
Ben.  He  could  scarcely  speak,  the  scene  had  so 
unnerved  him.  Such  treachery  was  almost  beyond 
his  comprehension.  He  had  yet  to  learn  that  the 
Filipinos  are  of  two  classes,  those  who  are  as  upright 
and  honest  as  any  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
and  those  of  almost  pure  Malayan  blood,  who  are 
full  of  cunning  and  trickery,  and  who  have  abso- 
lutely no  conscience. 

As  Captain  Larchmore  had  surmised,  there  was 
a  jungle  path  to  the  left,  and  into  this  the  first 
battalion  turned,  the  men  crowding  onward  four 
abreast.  The  path  was  much  choked  up  and  many 
a  face  and  hand  was  badly  scratched.  Presently 
the  men  in  front  came  to  an  unexpected  halt. 

"  We're  blocked  !  The  rebels  have  put  us  into 
a  trap  !  " 

"  What's  the  trouble  now  ? "  asked  a  score  of 
voices  at  once. 


206  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"There  is  a  quagmire  ahead  and  the  logs  that 
lay  over  it  have  been  hauled  away." 

This  reply  was  partly  drowned  by  a  volley  of 
musketry  from  ahead  and  still  further  to  the 
left.  Here  was  a  slight  rise  of  ground  occupied 
by  fully  three  hundred  Filipinos,  all  well  armed, 
those  without  good  firing  pieces  having  continued 
to  retreat,  carrying  the  majority  of  their  wounded 
with  them. 

For  the  moment,  the  Americans  were  non- 
plussed ;  then  a  rapid  search  was  made  along  the 
quagmire  for  a  suitable  spot  at  which  to  cross. 
At  the  same  time,  the  soldiers  fired  at  every 
Filipino  who  showed  himself,  and  cries  of  pain 
and  rage  told  plainly  that  many  a  bullet  reached 
its  mark. 

Ben's  company  had  branched  off  to  the  ex- 
treme right,  by  order  of  the  major  of  the  battal- 
ion. Here  the  quagmire  was  not  over  twenty  feet 
broad.  Still  it  was  deep  and  exceedingly  sticky, 
and  not  a  man  dared  to  venture  into  it. 

"Of  a  fellow  got  into  dot  up  to  his  middle,  not 
a  dozen  horses  could  pull  him  owit  ! "  exclaimed 
Stummer.     "  Dot  mud  vos  worse  nor  glue  alretty." 

"We've  got   to  get   over   somehow,"  cried   Ben. 


THE  TAKING   OF   CEMETERY   RIDGE  207 

"  Our  formation  is  all  cut  up  here,  and  those 
Filipinos  can  pick  us  off  at  will.  I  think  I  see 
a  way  over.     It's  worth  trying,  at  any  rate." 

He  pointed  to  several  tall  trees  growing  upon 
either  side  of  the  quagmire.  Between  the  trees 
hung  several  festoons  of  the  rope  like  palasan  vine, 
one  of  them  within  easy  reach. 

"That's  risky,"  shouted  the  captain;  still,  when 
Ben  began  to  climb  along  the  vine,  he  did  not 
attempt  to  stop  the  young  volunteer.  Soon  the 
youth  was  well  out  and  in  plain  view  of  the  in- 
surgents. A  shot  rang  forth,  but  the  bullet  sped 
several  feet  overhead,  and  in  a  second  more  Ben 
was  safe  in  the  brush  beyond. 

What  one  could  do  more  could  do,  and  in  a 
twinkling  the  vines  growing  over  the  quagmire 
were  alive  with  soldiers.  Fortunately  the  palasan 
is  strong,  and  wherever  its  creepers  take  hold  they 
are  bound  to  stay ;  so  the  number  of  soldiers  that 
fell  into  the  sticky  mud  was  small,  and  these 
were  rescued  without  serious  damage  being  done. 
But  now  the  rebels  had  the  range  of  the  spot, 
and  a  scattering  fire  put  several  Americans  out 
of  the  contest  forever,  while  twice  as  many  more 
had  to  be  sent  to  the  field  hospital  in  the  rear. 


208  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

It  was  soon  found  that  the  body  of  insurgents 
ahead  were  located  on  an  isolated  hill  not  over 
twenty  acres  in  extent,  and  the  Americans  at  once 
determined,  if  possible,  to  surround  them  and  cut 
them  off  from  the  rest  of  their  army. 

"  The  first  battalion  will  push  along  on  the  right, 
the  second  on  the  left,  and  the  third  will  keep 
well  to  the  front,"  ordered  the  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment. And  he  added  that  the  first  two  divisions 
were  to  keep  out  of  sight  as  much  as  possible. 

The  latter  order  meant  more  cutting  through 
the  jungle.  There  was  also  a  stream  to  cross,  the 
banks  of  which  were  slimy  with  decayed  vegeta- 
tion. The  heat  was  now  greater  than  ever,  and 
several  members  of  Company  D  dropped  out,  in- 
cluding the  first  lieutenant. 

"  I  can't  go  on  !  "  panted  Ross.  "  My  head  is 
spinning  like  a  top.  Go  on  and  wipe  'em  out !  " 
and  he  sank  in  the  shade,  completely  exhausted. 
Ben  at  once  notified  the  captain,  and  two  men 
were  detailed  to  carry  the  first  lieutenant  to  the 
rear,  while  Ben  became  the  second  in  command. 

Inside  of  half  an  hour,  the  rear  of  the  little  hill 
had  been  gained  by  Companies  D  and  E  of  Ben's 
regiment.     So   far   these    companies   had   not   fired 


THE  TAKING   OF   CEMETERY   RIDGE  209 

a  shot  since  leaving  the  quagmire,  but  now,  con- 
trary to  orders,  half  a  dozen  privates  let  drive, 
bringing  down  two  rebels  and  advising  them  of 
the  true  situation. 

"  That's  too  bad !  "  cried  Captain  Larchmore. 
"  We  ought  to  have  waited  for  reinforcements. 
But  it  can't  be  helped  now.  Here  they  come. 
Stand  firm,  men,  and  give  it  to  them  hot.  Take 
aim  —  fire ! "  And  the  long  line  of  Springfield 
rifles  spoke  up,  creating  great  havoc  in  the  first 
company  of  Filipinos  and  bringing  the  whole  com- 
mand to  a  halt. 

But  the  rebel  leader  now  realized  fully  that 
unless  he  made  a  desperate  effort  his  command 
would  be  hemmed  in  and  annihilated,  and  again 
he  urged  his  fellows  forward,  using  the  favorite 
battle-cry:  "  Viva  la  Republica  Filipina  1 '" —  Long 
live  the  Philippine  Republic  ! 

The  first  shock  was  terrific,  and  a  score  of  men 
went  down  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Rifles 
were  discharged  at  close  range,  and  then,  as  there 
was  not  time  to  reload,  bayonets  sprung  into  use, 
or  the  weapons  were  used  as  clubs.  Ben  soon 
found  himself  surrounded,  and  cut  out  right  and 
left  with   his  sword.     Once  he  felt  the  blow  of  a 


210  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

gun  on  his  shoulder,  and  swung  around  to  catch, 
the  rebel  in  the  side  with  his  blade,  causing  the 
man  to  flee  with  a  yell  of  pain. 

"  Captain  Larchmore  is  down !  "  Who  uttered 
the  cry  Ben  could  not  tell.  Looking  in  the  di- 
rection where  the  gallant  captain  had  stood,  the 
young  lieutenant  could  see  nothing  of  him.  But 
there  was  a  crowd  of  Filipinos  there  and  half  a 
dozen  American  soldiers  among  them,  and  he  hur- 
ried to  the  spot  with  all  speed. 

The  captain  had  been  thrown  in  a  most  unex- 
pected manner.  While  striking  at  a  Filipino  in 
front  of  him,  somebody  had  shot  the  man  down, 
and  he  had  pitched  headlong  and  the  American 
over  him.  Before  the  captain  could  rise,  several 
of  the  rebels  were  at  him,  anxious  to  hack  the 
officer  of  the  "  vile  Americanos "  to  pieces.  The 
captain  had  used  his  pistol  with  some  effect,  but 
now  the  weapon  was  empty. 

As  Ben  came  upon  the  scene,  he  found  a  short, 
heavy-set  Filipino  in  the  act  of  stabbing  his  com- 
mander in  the  back  with  a  bayonet,  while  a  sec- 
ond rebel  was  about  to  club  the  unfortunate 
officer  in  the  head  with  the  butt  of  his  Mauser. 

It  was  a  time  in  which  to  think  and  act  quickly, 


THE   TAKING   OF   CEMETERY  RIDGE  211 

and  it  must  be  confessed  that  Ben  did  his  acting 
first  and  his  thinking  afterward.  Taking  aim  at 
the  fellow  with  the  bayonet,  he  pulled  the  trigger 
of  his  pistol  and  took  the  insurgent  directly  in 
the  neck,  inflicting  an  ugly  if  not  a  fatal  wound. 
Then  he  fired  a  second  time,  and  the  rebel  who 
had  thought  to  use  his  gun  as  a  club  staggered 
back  with  a  ball  in  his  shoulder.  Ben  had  learned 
to  shoot  straight,  and  just  now  he  meant  business. 

"  Lieutenant  Russell,  you  have  saved  my  life !  " 
burst  out  Captain  Larchmore.  "  I'll  not  forget 
you  for  this !  "  And  then  he  ran  on,  to  call  his 
scattered  command  together.  Ben  went  after  him, 
and  soon  the  broken  line  was  re-formed.  But  the 
insurgents  could  not  be  forced  back,  and,  breaking 
through,  they  fled  helter-skelter  over  a  plain  and 
up  Cemetery  Ridge,  leaving  the  dead  and  wounded 
behind  them,  as  well  as  over  a  score  who  threw 
down  their  arms  and  gave  themselves  up  as  pris- 
oners of  war. 

"  We've  got  them  on  the  run  !  "  was  the  cry. 
"  Don't  give  them  a  chance  to  rest,  boys  !  Pour 
it  into  'em  hot !  "  And  away  went  the  American 
soldiers,  the  officers  in  many  cases  leading.  Soon 
the   outskirts   of   the  cemetery  itself  were  gained, 


212  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

and    the    Chinese    church    became    plainly    visible 
through  the  smoke  which  arose  on  every  side. 

"  The  cemetery  is  all  cut  up  with  wire  fences," 
cried  Ben,  after  a  survey  through  a  pair  of  field 
glasses.  "  We'll  have  a  fine  job  getting  up  to 
the  church." 

"And    the    whole    place    is    alive    with    rebels,' 
answered  Captain  Larchmore.     "  Those   headstones 
make  famous  shelters." 

From  over  to  the  right  and  the  left  of  the 
regiment  the  firing  was  incessant,  showing  that 
the  other  portions  of  the  American  army  were 
not  idle.  All  the  troops  mentioned  in  the  first 
advance  were  closing  up  toward  the  hill,  and  in 
addition  a  Utah  battery  had  come  up  and  was 
firing  heavy  shells  into  the  church,  which,  it  could 
plainly  be  seen,  was  crowded  with  Filipinos.  In 
the  meantime  there  was  another  hot  fight  going 
on  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Binondo  church. 

In  a  minute  more  Company  D  was  over  the 
wall  of  the  cemetery  and  rushing  with  all  speed 
up  the  slope  to  the  first  of  the  wire  barriers.  A 
volley  from  the  Chinese  edifice  greeted  them,  fol- 
lowed by  another  from  a  body  of  rebels  lying 
in  a  slight  hollow  toward  the  other  church. 


THE   TAKING   OF   CEMETERY   RIDGE  213 

"  Fire  at  will ! "  shouted  the  commander,  and 
the  constant  crack  !  crack !  of  hundreds  of  Spring- 
field rifles  answered  the  command,  clearing  the 
windows  of  both  churches  in  an  instant.  Then 
came  a  rush  of  insurgents  across  the  graveyard. 
Some  were  cut  down,  but  the  majority  reached  the 
churches,  and  now  the  concentrated  fire  of  the 
Americans  made  the  buildings  "  about  the  hottest 
places  on  earth,"  as  Ben  afterward  expressed  it. 
It  was  now  after  three  o'clock,  and  the  various  com- 
mands had  been  under  fire  from  six  to  seven  hours 
without  anything  to  eat  and  very  little  to  drink. 

But  the  contest  so  gloriously  waged  was  soon 
to  come  to  an  end.  Against  such  forces  as  were 
on  hand  and  such  as  were  coming  up,  the  rebels 
could  not  hope  to  hold  out,  and  soon  they  began 
to  leave  the  churches  and  the  farther  end  of  the 
cemetery,  first  singly  and  then  in  squads  and 
companies.  Seeing  this,  the  hope  of  the  Ameri- 
cans arose  higher  than  ever,  and  with  a  grand 
hurrah  they  pressed  on  until  the  very  last  of  the 
Filipinos  who  was  able  had  fled  as  fast  as  his 
limbs  could  carry  him.  Cemetery  Ridge  was 
ours,  and  the  fighting  to  the  north  of  Manila  had 
been  as  successful  as  that  to  the  east  and  the  south. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

BEN   GOES   ON   A   HUNT   FOR   GILBERT 

Immediately  after  the  fighting  was  over,  the 
wounded  and  those  who  had  been  prostrated  by 
the  heat  were  cared  for,  and  then  the  commissary 
department  took  upon  itself  the  task  of  transporting 
food  to   the   soldiers  who  had  fought  so  gallantly. 

It  was  an  easy  matter  to  supply  the  regiment 
to  which  Ben  belonged,  and  soon  the  cooks  of 
Company  D  were  preparing  the  best  meal  at  their 
command,  the  "  boys "  in  the  meanwhile  brushing 
up  their  dirty  and  bedraggled  uniforms  and  smoked 
guns,  and  bathing  in  such  water  as  was  handy. 
When  it  came  to  eating,  every  tin  plate  full  of 
food  and  cupful  of  coffee  disappeared  as  if  by 
magic.  In  the  meantime  a  strong  picket  guard 
was  sent  some  distance  beyond  the  ridge,  so  that 
the  enemy  might  not  steal  in  on  the  Americans 
during  the  approaching  night.  But  the  picket 
guard  was  unnecessary,  for  the  Filipinos   had   had 

214 


BEN   GOES   ON   A   HUNT   FOR    GILBERT  215 

enough  of  fighting  for  the  present,  and  were  quite 
willing  to  keep  their  distance. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  Aguinaldo's  forces,  as  well 
as  the  general  himself  and  his  immediate  advisers, 
were  astonished  and  dismayed  at  what  had  oc- 
curred. They  had  not  dreamed  that  these  Ameri- 
cans, who  in  the  past  had  lived  such  a  "free  and 
easy  "  life  in  and  around  Manila,  and  who  had  even 
submitted  (it  was  under  strict  orders  from  head- 
quarters) to  the  petty  insults  which  the  rebels 
offered  without  resentment  in  force,  could  rise  up 
and  wage  war  so  fiercely  and  relentlessly.  They 
had  looked  for  a  mild  battle  and  then  a  rush  into 
Manila,  and  Aguinaldo  had  even  arranged  for 
feeding  his  army  inside  of  the  city,  rice  and  other 
commodities  being  stored  away  in  secret  for  that 
purpose.  But  here  they  were  utterly  routed,  and 
with  the  Filipino  army  scattered  in  a  dozen  differ- 
ent directions.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  had  General 
Otis  had  sufficient  troops  at  this  time  to  cover  the 
necessary  territory,  he  could  have  crushed  the 
entire  uprising  in  less  than  three  days.  But  his 
force  was  not  large  enough,  and  the  most  he  could 
do  was  to  keep  affairs  in  Manila  quiet  and  guard 
all  the  highways  leading  into  the  city. 


216  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Ben  was  as  hungry  as  anybody,  and  it  did  not 
take  him  long  to  dispose  of  the  food  dealt  out  to 
him.  While  he  ate  he  conversed  with  Captain 
Larchmore,  and  afterward  with  his  major,  and 
learned  that  no  other  immediate  advance  was  con- 
templated ;  instead,  General  Otis  had  sent  word 
that  the  column  must  rest  as  it  was. 

"  If  we  aren't  to  do  any  fighting,  I  should  like 
a  few  hours'  leave  of  absence,"  said  Ben,  and  ex- 
plained that  he  wished  to  take  a  look  around  in 
the  hope  of  learning  what  had  become  of  Gilbert. 
Permission  to  go  was  granted,  and  he  hurried 
away,  taking  with  him  a  private  of  Company  B, 
who  had  been  detailed  to  hunt  up  the  missing 
sergeant.  The  private's  name  was  Ralph  Sorrel, 
and  the  young  lieutenant  found  him  a  particularly 
bright  and  handy  fellow  to  have  along. 

"  I  kin  take  ye  right  down  to  whar  I  seed  the 
sergeant  last,  lieutenant,"  said  Sorrel,  who  had  come 
from  the  mountains  of  Tennessee,  and  who  was, 
consequently,  well  up  in  woodcraft.  "  It  war  in 
a  leetle  hollow  a  right  smart  step  to  the  left  o' 
that  water  patch." 

"  Well,  it's  mighty  odd  what  became  of  him.  I  can 
hardly  believe  that  the  Filipinos  made  any  prisoners.,, 


BEN   GOES   ON   A   HUNT   FOR    GILBERT  217 

"  I  don't  think  they  did,  lieutenant  —  not  ez  a 
general  rule.  But  it  might  be  ez  how  they  took 
some,  jess  to  see  wot  they  could  git  out  of  'em  — 
understand  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  understand.  Well,  if  they  captured 
Sergeant  Pennington  for  that  purpose  — " 

"  They  barked  up  the  wrong  tree  —  thet's  right, 
lieutenant.  Sergeant  Pennington  would  see  'em 
all  hanged  afore  he  would  open  his  jaw  fer  their 
benefit.  He's  true  blue,  he  is.  I  understand  ye 
an'  him  war  chums.  Wall,  ye  couldn't  have  no 
better  runnin'  mate — no,  sah  !  "  concluded  Sorrel. 

The  Tennesseean  was  a  tall,  lank  fellow  who 
believed  in  covering  ground  rapidly,  and  it  was 
all  Ben  could  do  to  keep  up  with  him.  Long  be- 
fore sundown  the  abandoned  rice  field  was  gained 
and  a  search  instituted,  which  gradually  led  the 
pair  to  a  narrow  road  running  up  to  what  had  once 
been  a  small  village  of  nipa  huts,  but  which  was 
now  little  better  than  a  heap  of  smouldering 
ashes. 

"  This  is  the  way  a  small  lot  of  them  rebels  took," 
said  Sorrel,  as  he  examined  the  ground  with  the 
care  of  an  Indian  trailer.  "  Yere  air  the  footprints 
ez  plain  ez  day  —  an'  yere  are  the  footprints  of  a 


218  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

pair  of  boots  or  shoes  !  "  went  on  the  Tennesseean, 
suddenly. 

The  tracks  interested  Ben,  but  he  could  make 
little  out  of  them.  "  I  suppose  some  of  the  rebels 
that  came  this  way  had  shoes  —  "he  began,  when 
Sorrel  cut  him  short. 

"  They  didn't  have  no  sech  footwear  ez  them, 
lieutenant.  Them's  American-made  hoof  coverin's  ; 
mark  my  words  ef  they  ain't." 

"  I  don't  believe  it  will  do  any  harm  to  follow  up 
the  tracks  for  a  short  distance,  Sorrel,"  answered 
the  young  officer.  "  But  we  must  be  careful  and  not 
run  into  any  ambush.  I'm  beginning  to  think  these 
Filipinos  are  as  wily  as  Indians." 

"  Reckon  they  air,  lieutenant.  But  we'll  have 
our  eyes  open  for  'em,"  was  the  return,  and  Sorrel 
examined  his  rifle,  while  Ben  saw  to  it  that  his 
pistol  was  ready  for  use. 

The  road  was  strewn  with  articles  which  the 
rebels  had  thrown  away  on  their  retreat,  —  rifles, 
clubs,  and  bits  of  wearing  apparel,  as  well  as  cook- 
ing-utensils. 

"  Hullo,  here's  something  !  "  cried  Ben,  after  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  had  been  covered.  He  pointed  to  a 
blanket  roll  lying  in  some  bushes.    Bringing  it  forth, 


BEN    GOES    ON   A   HUNT   FOE   GILBERT  219 

he  unrolled  it  and  made  an  examination  of  the 
contents. 

"  It's  Gilbert's,"  he  said  soberly.  "  We  are  on 
the  right  track,  beyond  a  doubt.  The  question  is, 
how  far  have  they  taken  him," 

"An'  if  we  kin  git  him  away  from  the  rebs," 
added  Sorrel.  "  I'm  willin'  to  go  in  an'  do  my 
best,  lieutenant." 

"  Our  best  will  depend  upon  how  the  land  lies, 
Sorrel.  I'm  willing  to  go  ahead,  too,  but  it  will 
be  foolish  to  stick  our  heads  into  the  lion's  mouth 
just  to  see  what  he's  got  in  his  throat.  Now 
which  way  ?  " 

As  Ben  concluded,  they  reached  a  fork  in  the 
road.  Here  there  had  once  stood  a  warehouse  for 
rice,  but  this  was  burned  down,  and  a  vast  heap 
of  rice  lay  smouldering  in  the  ruins. 

"I  reckon  ez  how  they  took  the  road  to  the 
south,  lieutenant." 

"I  believe  you  are  right.  If  we —  Down, 
quick  !  " 

Ben  dropped  flat,  and  his  companion  was  not 
long  in  doing  likewise.  The  young  officer  had 
seen  the  glint  of  a  Mauser  barrel  through  some 
foliage  beside  the  road.     Three   reports  rang  out, 


220  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

but  the  trio  of  leaden  messengers  flew  far  over- 
head, clipping  the  leaves  of  a  mango  tree  as  they 
sped  on  their  way. 

As  rapidly  as  he  could  bring  his  gun  into  posi- 
tion, the  tall  Tennesseean  fired.  Sorrel  was  used 
to  hitting  birds  on  the  wing,  and  his  skill  as  a 
marksman  proved  itself  by  a  sudden  howl  of  pain 
not  fifty  yards  away.  Ben  wanted  to  fire,  but  by 
the  time  he  had  risen  again  nobody  was  in  sight. 

"  Hurry,  lieutenant  !  "  yelled  Sorrel,  and  started 
for  a  series  of  rocks  behind  the  burnt  warehouse. 
Again  came  a  single  report,  and  now  Ben  fired  in 
return.  If  the  shot  hit,  the  Filipino  gave  no  sign. 
But  he  withdrew  as  rapidly  as  he  had  appeared. 

The  rocks  were  not  over  four  feet  in  height, 
yet  they  afforded  ample  shelter  from  any  attack 
of  the  enemy  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 
But  back  of  the  rocks  was  another  jungle,  and 
both  felt  that  the  enemy  might  easily  make  a 
detour  and  come  up  behind  them. 

"  I  reckon  we're  lookin'  into  the  lion's  mouth 
now,"  observed  Sorrel,  as  he  proceeded  to  reload. 

"  So  we  are,  and  I  don't  like  it.  The  best  thing 
we  can  do  is  to  get  out  just  as  soon  as  possible." 

"How?" 


BEN   GOES   ON   A   HUNT   FOR   GILBERT  221 

"By  taking  to  the  wood  behind  us.  It  would 
be  foolishness  to  attempt  to  go  ahead.  More  than 
likely  we  are  close  to  a  rebel  camp." 

"  All  right ;  I'm  ready  to  move  when  you  air," 
answered  Sorrel. 

With  weapons  ready  for  use,  they  threw  them- 
selves on  the  ground  and  began  to  worm  their 
way  through  the  tall  grass  in  the  direction  of  the 
jungle.  The  distance  to  be  covered  was  a  little 
over  a  hundred  feet.  With  a  heart  that  beat 
rapidly,  Ben  wondered  if  they  could  make  it  with- 
out being  discovered. 

"  The  darkness  will  help  us  a  little,"  said  Sorrel, 
who  read  the  young  lieutenant's  thoughts.  "  But 
we  have  got  to  be  mighty  careful." 

The  grass  had  been  thick  near  the  rocks,  but 
as  they  approached  the  brush  it  grew  more  spar- 
ingly, until  there  was  left  but  little  to  cover  them. 
As  they  came  out  into  full  view,  Ben  set  his 
teeth  hard.  He  fully  expected  a  shot  and  won- 
dered where  it  would  hit  him.  But  no  shot  came, 
and  in  a  few  seconds  more  the  jungle  had  hidden 
them  from  view. 

"  We  are  well  out  of  that,"  muttered  Sorrel.  "  It 
war  a  close  shave,  eh?" 


222  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"I  can't  understand  why  they  didn't  shoot  at 
us  again.     They  had  a  fair  chance." 

"  Perhaps  they  war  watchin'  them  rocks  too 
closely.  Or  else  there  may  be  some  of  'em  over 
yere,  an'  —     Hush !  " 

Sorrel  became  silent  and  clutched  Ben  by  the 
arm.  In  the  semi-darkness  he  had  made  out  several 
forms  moving  around  a  little  clearing  ahead  of 
them.  Soon  other  forms  appeared,  until  the  two 
counted  eight  Filipinos,  all  armed. 

"  We've  fallen  into  a  nest  of  them,"  whispered  Ben. 
"We  had  better  retreat,  and  lose  no  time  about  it." 

"To  the  road?" 

"No,  along  this  side  of  the  road.  There  is  no 
use  in  uncovering  ourselves  until  it  is  absolutely 
necessary." 

"  Right  ye  air,  lieutenant,"  was  the  Tennesseean's 
comment. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  move  ahead  in  the 
jungle,  which  seemed  to  grow  thicker  as  they 
advanced.  Ben's  hands  and  face  were  scratched, 
and  once  he  went  down  into  a  snake-hole  up  to  his 
knees.  The  reptiles,  little  fellows,  came  forth  hiss- 
ing fiercely,  and  the  young  lieutenant  went  crash- 
ing on  ahead  to  get  out  of  the  way. 


BEN   GOES    ON   A   HUNT   FOR    GILBERT  223 

"  I  didn't  bargain  to  fight  snakes,"  said  the  youth, 
when  Sorrel  asked  what  was  the  matter.  "  Ugh  ! 
what  a  hole  to  step  into  !  "     And  he  shuddered. 

"You've  given  'em  the  alarm,"  said  the  tall 
Tennesseean,  a  moment  later.  "  The  whole  crowd 
is  piling  this  way  just  as  fast  as  it  can.  I'll  bet 
they  got  word  from  the  other  side  of  the  road  that 
we  were  around  yere  !  " 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

IN  A   FILIPINO   ENCAMPMENT 

Sorrel  was  right ;  the  Filipinos  in  the  jungle 
had  received  word  from  those  who  had  first  fired 
upon  the  two  Americans,  and  now  the  whole  party 
was  in  pursuit  of  the  pair. 

''We  can't  get  out  fast  enough,"  said  Ben,  as 
they  tried  in  vain  to  break  their  way  through  the 
mass  of  brush  and  vines.  "  Those  fellows  can  beat 
us  at  the  work  ten  to  one.  I  think  the  best  thing 
we  can  do  is  to  hide  again." 

"Kin  ye  shin  up  a  tree,  lieutenant,  ef  I  give  ye 
a  boost  ?  "  asked  Sorrel,  and  receiving  a  reply  in 
the  affirmative,  the  Tennesseean  helped  Ben  to 
ascend  a  small  mango,  and  quickly  pulled  himself 
out  of  sight. 

The  movement  was  none  too  soon,  for  hardly 
had  they  secreted  themselves  than  the  Filipinos 
appeared,  coming  along  in  an  irregular  line  which 
spread  out  to  the  distance  of  a  hundred  feet.     They 

224 


IN  A   FILIPINO   ENCAMPMENT  225 

advanced  as  silently  as  shadows,  and  the  Americans 
hardly  dared  to  breathe  as  they  passed  under  the 
mango  tree. 

"That  war  another  narrow  shave,"  chuckled 
Sorrel,  when  the  danger  appeared  to  be  past. 
"  Those  fellows  won't  miss  a  thing  that  is  on  the 
ground." 

"  Then  how  about  our  footprints  and  the  vines 
we  ripped  to  pieces  ?  "  asked  Ben.  "  I  think  we 
had  better  be  making  tracks." 

"Right  ag'in,  lieutenant.  Down  we  go!"  and 
Sorrel  dropped  to  the  ground.  Ben  came  after 
him,  and  once  more  they  set  off,  but  in  a  different 
direction  from  that  which  the  rebels  had  taken. 

It  was  now  growing  dark  rapidly,  and  soon  they 
found  it  impossible  to  see  a  dozen  feet  ahead  of 
them.  They  were  ascending  a  hill,  but  in  what 
direction  neither  could  tell.  The  ground  was  be- 
coming very  stony  and  rough,  and  presently  Ben 
called  a  halt. 

"  We  are  lost  in  the  jungle,  and  there  is  no  use 
in  going  ahead  unless  we  know  where  we  are  going 
to,"  he  said.  "There  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  roacl 
anywhere." 

"  I  was  in  hopes  we  should  git  to  the  top  o'  the 


226  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

hill  an'  have  a  chance  to  squint  around,"  answered 
Sorrel.  "  I  don't  think  the  top  is  far  off,  because 
we  have  climbed  a  considerable  distance,  an'  none 
o'  these  hills  air  very  tall." 

"All  right  then,  we'll  go  on  a  bit  further,  al- 
though this  fighting  through  is  mighty  tiresome," 
said  the  young  lieutenant. 

The  Tennesseean's  surmise  proved  correct,  and 
five  minutes  later  they  reached  a  small  clearing, 
overlooking  the  Pasig  River  and  the  jungle  through 
which  they  had  passed.  Far  in  the  distance 
twinkled  the  lights  of  Manila  and  closer  by  could 
be  seen  the  campfires  of  a  portion  of  the  American 
army.  Behind  the  hill  burnt  other  campfires,  be- 
longing to  the  insurgents. 

"We  have  turned  around  considerable,  I  allow," 
remarked  Sorrel,  as  he  surveyed  the  situation.  "If 
I  ain't  mistaken  thet's  a  road  down  to  the  left." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  said  Ben,  straining  his  eyes  in 
the  direction.  "But  if  it  is,  I'm  afraid  we'll  have 
a  tough  time  getting  to  it,  for  the  jungle  in  that 
direction  is  thicker  than  where  we  came  through. 
We  might  try —  Hullo,  there  is  another  campfire 
springing  up,  right  behind  us  !  " 

The    young    lieutenant    pointed   with   his   hand, 


OT  A   FILIPINO   ENCAMPMENT  227 

and  they  watched  what  was  taking  place  with  in- 
terest. He  had  seen  a  bit  of  a  dry  branch  burn- 
ing. This  was  applied  to  a  heap  of  brush,  and 
extra  wood  was  piled  on  top.  The  blaze  was  a 
bright  one,  and  by  the  light  Ben  made  out  the 
forms  of  a  score  of  Filipinos  and  one  white  man. 

"There  is  a  soldier  — "  he  began,  when  Sorrel 
cut  him  short. 

"  Sergeant  Pennington,  lieutenant !  "  he  ejacu- 
lated. "  We  struck  it  putty  close,  after  all,  didn't 
we?" 

"  It  is  Gilbert !  "  exclaimed  Ben.  "  He  doesn't 
seem  to  be  wounded,  either.  He  has  his  hands 
tied  behind  him." 

"  Let  us  git  a  bit  closer,"  suggested  the  tall 
Tennesseean. 

Ben  was  willing,  and  leaving  the  clearing,  they 
dove  once  more  into  the  jungle.  Both  had  been 
careful  to  obtain  "the  lay  of  the  land,"  and  they 
pursued  a  straight  course  for  the  campfire  of  the 
enemy,  which  lay  in  a  tiny  hollow  close  beside  a 
spring  of  pure,  cold  water. 

"  Be  careful,  there  may  be  pickets  out,"  whispered 
Ben,  as  they  approached  to  a  point  where  the  occu- 
pants of  the  camp  could  be  plainly  distinguished. 


228  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  I  don't  see  a  soul,  lieutenant.  I  reckon  they've 
gone  in  to  feed,"  was  Sorrel's  reply.  He  was  right ; 
all  the  Filipinos  were  gathered  around  the  fire, 
eager  to  obtain  what  two  of  the  number  were  deal- 
ing out.  In  the  meantime,  Gilbert  had  been  loosely 
bound  to  a  tree. 

"I  wonder  if  I  can't  crawl  up  behind  that  tree 
and  cut  him  loose,"  muttered  Ben,  after  a  long 
pause,  during  which  the  pair  had  watched  what 
was  going  on. 

"Don't  be  rash,  lieutenant.  Cutting  him  free 
ain't  gittin'  him  away,  remember.  We've  got  to 
do  the  trick  slick-like,  or  we'll  have  thet  whole 
tribe  down  on  us  in  a  jiffy,"  returned  Sorrel,  as 
he  threw  himself  flat  on  his  chest  and  crawled 
closer  to  where  Gilbert  stood  a  prisoner. 

The  Filipinos  were  a  well-dressed  set,  quite  in 
contrast  to  the  majority  of  Aguinaldo's  army.  All 
were  armed  with  Mauser  rifles,  and  carried  pistols 
in  addition.  They  were  commanded  by  a  captain, 
—  a  lean,  hungry -looking  Tagal  with  a  most  vil- 
lanous  expression. 

As  Ben  and  Sorrel  paused  to  consider  the  situa- 
tion, the  leader  of  the  Filipinos  approached  Gil- 
bert, swinging  his  sword  in  his  hand  as  he  did  so. 


IN   A   FILIPINO   ENCAMPMENT  229 

"Is  he  going  to  harm  Gilbert,  do  you  think?" 
whispered  Ben  hurriedly,  at  the  same  time  finger- 
ing his  pistol  nervously. 

"  He  won't  have  time,"  was  Sorrel's  laconic 
reply,  as  he  drew  a  bead  on  the  advancing  cap- 
tain. "  The  gun  kin  do  the  trick  surer  nor  thet 
pistol,  lieutenant." 

"  Then  you  can  have  the  first  shot,  if  it  becomes 
necessary,"  agreed  Ben. 

"Well,  which  do  you  Americano  choose?"  de- 
manded the  Filipino,  in  such  good  English  that 
the  young  lieutenant  was  astonished. 

"I  have  already  given  you  my  answer,"  came 
from  Gilbert,  in  a  dry,  husky  voice. 

"You  will  neither  join  nor  give  us  information?" 

"That  is  what  I  said." 

"  You  would  like  to  eat  and  drink  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  want  water,  and  you  are  a  brute  to  keep 
it  from  me,"  cried  the  young  Southerner. 

"  We  are  not  brutes,  sefior ;  we  play  the  art  of 
war,  as  you  Americanos  call  it.  You  come  here 
and  would  take  our  beloved  country  from  us. 
What  say  you  if  the  Filipinos  come  to  the  United 
States  and  take  them  from  you  ?  " 

"  We  won't  argue  that  point,  captain.     But  I  can 


230  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

tell  you  one  things  —  we  don't  treat  our  prisoners  of 
war  in  this  fashion.  As  long  as  we  have  it,  we  give 
them  enough  to  eat  and  to  drink.  You  haven't 
given  me  a  drop  of  water  since  you  captured  me." 

"  And  not  a  drop  shall  you  drink  until  you  are 
willing  to  speak,  or  swear  to  join  us." 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  become  a  traitor  to  my 
own  country  ?  "  demanded  Gilbert.  "  You  don't 
know  us  Americans." 

"  Bah  !  You  are  talking  that  of  which  you  know 
nothing,"  retorted  the  Filipino.  "  In  our  army  we 
already  have  fifty  or  more  Americanos.  They  know 
we  are  in  the  right  and  have  joined  us  willingly." 

"They  are  traitors,  nevertheless,  captain,  and  I 
reckon  most  of  them  are  fellows  who  are  better  out 
of  our  army  than  in  it  —  chaps  who  are  continually 
getting  into  trouble  with  their  officers." 

"They  are  noble  men,"  growled  the  Filipino 
leader.  He  scowled  deeply.  "You  will  not 
join  us?" 

"As  I  said  before,  no." 

"  And  you  will  not  give  us  the  information  we 
seek?" 

"I  don't  know  anything  —  I  am  a  common 
soldier." 


IN   A  FILIPINO   ENCAMPMENT  231 

"  Again  I  say,  bah  !  You  know  a  great  deal. 
You  are  a  spy.  If  not,  why  did  you  try  to  enter 
our  lines  on  the  sly,  tell  me  that  ?  " 

"  I  was  partly  overcome  by  the  heat  and  did  not 
know  what  I  was  doing.  I  thought  I  was  walking 
toward  our  own  line,"  answered  Gilbert,  and  he  told 
the  exact  truth.  "  If  I  had  dreamed  I  was  coming 
this  way,  I  would  have  turned  back  at  once." 

"  It  is  only  another  of  your  Yankee  tricks ! " 
replied  the  Filipino  captain.  "Will  you  speak  or 
will  you  not?  This  is  the  last  time  I  shall  ask  the 
question.  If  you  refuse  to  speak,  I  shall  order  you 
shot." 

"Will  General  Aguinaldo  allow  such  a  proceed- 
ing ? "  asked  Gilbert,  his  face  growing  pale. 

"  General  Aguinaldo  is  not  here.  We  are  com- 
manded by  General  Maxacosta  —  and  we  do  as  we 
please.  We  cannot  be  bothered  with  prisoners,  so 
you  must  either  join  us  and  tell  us  all  you  know,  or 
I  will  order  up  a  guard  to  shoot  you." 

"  I  won't  join  and  I  have  nothing  to  tell,"  cried 
Gilbert,  desperately.  "  If  you  kill  me,  my  blood 
will  be  on  your  head." 

"  And  what  of  the  blood  of  the  thousands  of  poor 
Filipinos    who    have    been    slaughtered    this    day? 


232  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Their  souls  cry  for  vengeance !  They  did  not 
deserve  death,  for  they  simply  fought  for  what 
your  grandfathers  fought  in  your  war  with  England 
—  your  freedom.  We  too  will  one  day  be  free  — 
America  shall  never  rule  us !  " 

Thus  speaking,  the  Filipino  captain  turned  away, 
his  face  full  of  rage  and  hate,  for  the  defeat  on  the 
battlefield  had  made  him  more  bitter  than  ever 
against  the  Americans.  Approaching  the  campfire, 
he  called  forth  three  of  the  Tagal  soldiers  and  told 
them  what  he  wanted  done.  At  once  the  fellows 
picked  up  their  rifles,  saw  to  it  that  they  were 
properly  loaded,  and  stepped  forth  in  line,  ready 
to  shoot  Gilbert  down  at  the  word  of  command. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

INTO  THE  JUNGLE  AND   OUT 

Ben  and  his  tall  companion  had  listened  to  the 
conversation  just  recorded  with  keen  interest.  It 
was  evident  that  the  Filipino  captain  was  what  is 
popularly  known  as  a  fire-eater,  and  intended  to 
let  nothing  stand  in  the  way  of  doing  as  he  chose. 
He  took  Gilbert  for  a  spy,  and  he  intended  that 
the  young  Southerner  should  either  tell  him  all  he 
knew  and  turn  traitor  to  the  United  States,  or 
else  suffer  death. 

Gilbert's  position  was  a  truly  perilous  one,  and 
he  cannot  be  blamed  if  his  heart  leaped  into  his 
throat  as  he  thought  that  his  last  hour  on  earth 
had  come.  It  is  no  mean  thing  to  face  death, 
and  no  one  realized  it  more  than  did  this  gallant 
young  man  who  had  made  such  a  record  for  him- 
self as  a  Rough  Rider  in  Cuba. 

But  at  the  moment  when  he  thought  death  so 
near,  the  Southerner's  hopes  revived  with  a  shock 

233 


234  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

that  nearly  overcame  him.  From  around  the  back 
of  the  tree  to  which  he  was  bound  appeared  a 
hand,  holding  a  sharp  pocket-knife.  A  slash,  and 
he  found  that  his  hands  were  once  more  free. 

"  Gilbert,  follow  me  into  the  jungle,  quick ! " 
The  voice  was  low  and  excited,  yet  he  recognized 
Ben's  tones  instantly.  Scarcely  had  the  words  been 
uttered  than  the  young  lieutenant  started  on  the 
retreat. 

Dumfounded,  the  young  sergeant  could  not  move 
for  a  second  or  two.  "  I  must  be  dreaming  !  "  he 
thought ;  but  as  his  hands  came  free  he  understood, 
and  glided  around  the  tree  trunk  like  a  flash. 
But,  as  quick  as  he  was,  two  of  the  soldiers  saw 
him. 

"  The  American  is  escaping  !  "  one  of  them  cried, 
in  his  native  dialect  —  a  very  corrupt  sort  of  Span- 
ish. He  raised  his  gun  and  fired,  and  the  second 
soldier  did  the  same.  Then  the  captain  saw  what 
had  occurred,  and  raised  his  pistol. 

"  The  American  pig  shall  die !  "  he  yelled,  but 
ere  he  could  pull  the  trigger  of  his  weapon  Ralph 
Sorrel  fired,  and  the  Filipino  leader  fell  into  one 
of  his  men's  arms,  mortally  wounded. 

"  Ben  !  by  all  that's  glorious  !  "  exclaimed  Gilbert, 


INTO   THE   JUNGLE   AND  OUT  235 

as  he  almost  stumbled  into  his  chum's  arms.  "  How 
in  the  world  did  you  get  here  ? " 

"  There  is  no  time  to  answer  questions  now,"  was 
the  hurried  reply.  "  Come  this  way,  and  make  haste, 
for  we'll  soon  have  that  whole  crowd  down  on  us." 

The  young  lieutenant  was  running  into  the  jungle 
as  fast  as  he  could.  Gilbert  followed  in  his  foot- 
steps, and  Sorrel  brought  up  in  the  rear,  reloading 
his  Springfield  with  all  speed. 

The  shooting  of  the  captain  disconcerted  the  Fili- 
pinos for  a  minute  or  two,  and  all  gathered  around 
the  fallen  form  to  see  how  badly  he  was  wounded. 
Sorrel's  bullet  had  lodged  in  his  chest,  and  several 
saw  at  once  that  there  was  no  hope  of  the  man's 
recovery. 

"  After  the  Americano,  and  after  those  who  are 
aiding  him  to  escape  !  "  shouted  the  second  in  com- 
mand. "  They  must  not  be  allowed  to  escape ! 
This  crime  must  be  avenged !  "  And  he  led  the 
search,  with  half  of  the  company  following. 

The  Americans  had  gained  a  lead  of  a  hundred 
feet  when  they  heard  the  rebels  coming  behind 
them.  Although  it  was  now  pitch  dark,  the  Fili- 
pinos followed  the  trail  readily,  several  of  them 
being  accustomed  to  jungle  life  from  childhood. 


236  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

"Let's  give  'em  a  shot,"  suggested  Sorrel,  and 
swung  his  rifle  into  place.  The  report  of  the  gun 
was  followed  by  two  cracks  from  Ben's  pistol. 
A  scream  of  pain  told  them  that  at  least  one  of  the 
enemy  had  been  struck. 

The  firing,  however,  uncovered  the  position  of 
the  Americans,  aud  before  they  could  shift,  several 
of  the  Filipinos  let  fly  a  volley  in  return.  The 
report  had  scarcely  rung  out  when  Ben  heard 
Sorrel  utter  a  subdued  "  Oh  !  " 

"Are  you  hit?" 

"Yes,  in  the  shoulder,"  came  with  a  gasp. 
"  Hang  the  luck  !  I'm  done  fer,  so  far  ez  firin'  is 
concerned  !  "  and  the  tall  Tennesseean's  rifle  fell  to 
the  ground.  "Take  it,  Pennington,  an'  go  on. 
Don't  mind  me."  And  Sorrel  gave  another  gasp 
of  pain. 

"I  shan't  leave  you,"  answered  Gilbert,  decid- 
edly. "  You  risked  your  life  to  save  mine.  Come 
on,  if  you  can  walk.  We'll  find  a  hiding-place 
somewhere."  He  took  the  rifle  and  slipped  a 
cartridge  into  it  from  Sorrel's  belt,  his  own  being 
empty. 

They  had  been  heading  eastward,  directly  for 
Manila.     A    few   feet   further    on   they  came  to    a 


¥ 


%     - 


"  He  and  Gilbert  raised  the  body  between  them."  —  Page  237. 


INTO   THE   JUNGLE    AND   OUT  237 

sudden  drop  in  the  ground.  "  Here  is  a  gully ; 
perhaps  we  can  hide  in  it,"  whispered  Ben,  and 
made  such  an  examination  as  the  darkness  admitted. 
He  was  soon  down  beside  a  tiny  watercourse.  On 
the  opposite  bank  was  a  series  of  rocks,  thickly 
overgrown  with  vines  and  brush. 

"  Let  me  help  you  down,  Sorrel,"  he  went  on. 
"  Here  is  water,  and  that  will  leave  no  trail.  We 
are  bound  to  get  away  if  we  —  he's  fainted !  " 

Ben  was  right ;  unable  to  stand  the  pain  in  his 
shoulder,  the  tall  Tennesseean  had  collapsed,  falling 
almost  on  top  of  the  young  lieutenant.  Ben 
braced  him  up,  and  then  both  he  and  Gilbert 
raised  the  body  between  them  and  hurried  on. 

The  load  was  heavy,  and  it  was  fortunate  that 
they  did  not  have  to  carry  it  far.  Less  than  a 
score  of  yards  were  covered,  when  they  came  to 
a  small  cliff,  under  which  there  was  a  good-sized 
hollow,  as  Ben  discovered  by  pulling  aside  the 
hanging  vines. 

"  Let  us  take  a  stand  here,"  whispered  the  young 
lieutenant,  and  they  pushed  into  the  opening,  laid 
the  unconscious  man  down,  and  pulled  the  vines 
again  into  place.  Then,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe, 
they  waited. 


238  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

Soon  they  heard  the  Filipinos  in  the  water,  and 
presently,  two  of  the  company  passed  up  the 
stream,  while  the  remainder  went  down.  But  it 
was  too  dark  to  make  out  anything,  and  they  were 
afraid  to  strike  a  light  for  fear  of  drawing  the 
Americans'  fire.  Inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour  they 
passed  out  of  hearing;  and  that  was  the  last  Be» 
and  his  friends  saw  of  them. 

As  soon  as  it  was  evident  that  the  coast  was 
clear,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  Gilbert  crawled 
to  the  water's  edge  and  regaled  himself  with  a 
much-needed  drink.  He  returned  with  a  canteen 
full  for  Sorrel's  benefit,  and  the  unconscious  man 
was  bathed,  and  his  wounded  shoulder  bound  up 
as  well  as  the  darkness  and  the  material  at  hand 
permitted.  At  first  Ben  thought  to  make  a  small 
fire,  but  Gilbert  shook  his  head. 

"I  think  it  would  be  foolish,"  he  said.  "If 
they  come  down  on  us,  what  can  we  do?  We  can 
neither  save  ourselves  nor  Sorrel.  Better  keep 
shady."     And  his  advice  prevailed. 

It  was  half  an  hour  later  before  the  Tennesseean 
opened  his  eyes  and  asked  for  more  water.  "  I 
reckon  I  ain't  hit  so  bad  but  wot  I  kin  go  on," 
he  said  presently.      "But   it  won't  be  in  no  foot- 


INTO   THE   JUNGLE  AND    OUT  239 

race,  and  it  won't  be  fer  two  or  three  hours 
neither." 

"We'll  wait  until  early  dawn,"  said  Ben.  "If 
we  start  now,  we'll  be  sure  to  go  astray." 

As  they  lay  under  the  rocks,  Gilbert  and  Ben 
devouring  some  rations  the  latter  had  brought 
along,  the  Southerner  related  his  experience  in 
the  hands  of  the  Filipinos. 

"They  treated  me  fairly  well  at  first,"  he  said. 
"But  I  soon  found  out  that  they  were  trying  to 
make  me  believe  that  to  be  a  rebel  was  a  glorious 
thing.  I  was  dazed  by  the  sun,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  some  sort  of  a  native  drink  made  from  leaves 
that  one  of  the  soldiers  gave  me,  I  believe  I  should 
have  fallen  and  never  gotten  up  again.  The  Fili- 
pinos were  quarrelling  among  themselves,  and  I 
learned  that  there  are  a  good  many  other  head 
men  besides  General  Aguinaldo.  He  leads  in  the 
province  of  Luzon,  but  in  other  portions  of  the 
island  they  hardly  recognize  him." 

"  I  think  myself  this  attack  was  a  makeshift 
affair,"  answered  Ben.  "  If  they  had  concentrated 
their  efforts  at  one  point,  I  honestly  believe  they 
might  have  gone  into  Manila  with  a  rush." 

"  General  Otis,  in  his  office  in  Manila,  knows  just 


240  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

what  he  is  doing,  Ben.  He  knew  all  the  weak 
points  and  the  strong  points,  and  he  divided  his 
troops  accordingly.  But  if  we  gain  much  territory, 
I  can't  see  how  we  are  going  to  hold  it.  We'll 
have  to  garrison  every  town  and  every  block-house, 
that's  certain." 

Both  of  the  young  volunteers  were  utterly  worn 
out,  and  after  seeing  to  it  that  Sorrel  was  resting 
in  a  fairly  comfortable  manner,  they  dropped  off 
into  a  troubled  sleep,  from  which  Ben  awakened 
about  four  o'clock. 

"  Wake  up !  "  he  called  to  Gilbert.  "  We  haven't 
any  time  to  lose  if  we  want  to  get  back  to  our 
camp  by  daylight." 

"  We  want  to  be  sure  and  strike  the  right  trail," 
answered  the  young  Southerner.  Do  you  know 
the  direction?" 

"  I  think  I  do,  but  I'll  climb  one  of  yonder  trees 
and  make  sure." 

To  mount  one  of  the  trees  mentioned  was  no  light 
task.  But  Ben  was  equal  to  it;  and  once  in  the  top 
a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  territory  could  be 
seen. 

"There  is  the  Chinese  church,"  he  said.  "I 
reckon  we  had  best  make  straight  for  that.     There 


INTO  THE  JUNGLE   AND   OTTT  241 

isn't  a  Filipino  in  sight,  around  here,"  he  added, 
as  he  descended.  "  I  saw  several  camps,  but  they 
are  far  to  the  north  and  northeast." 

Sorrel  was  already  up.  The  Tennesseean  de- 
clared that  he  was  able  to  walk  at  least  a  mile  or 
two,  although  his  face  was  pale  and  haggard  and  he 
did  not  look  it.  A  drink  of  water  all  around  was 
had,  and  off  they  started,  Ben  in  front,  with  his 
pistol  drawn,  Sorrel  next,  unarmed,  and  Gilbert 
bringing  up  in  the  rear  with  the  rifle. 

Thus  fully  a  mile  was  left  behind,  the  trail  lead- 
ing through  the  jungle  and  around  a  swamp  over- 
grown with  rank-smelling  vegetation.  At  the 
swamp  they  encountered  several  flocks  of  birds  of 
prey,  and  Sorrel  announced  that  there  must  be 
dead  bodies  about.  Soon  they  came  in  sight  of 
half  a  score  of  dead  Filipinos,  left  by  their  friends 
where  they  had  fallen.  The  sight  made  Ben  sick, 
and  he  turned  away  with  a  sigh. 

"  War  is  awful,  Gilbert.  I  wonder  if  the  folks 
at  home  realize  how  terrible  it  really  is." 

"A  good  many  of  them  do  not,  Ben.  If  they 
did,  they  wouldn't  shout  for  a  fight  every  time 
complications  arise  between  our  country  and  some 
other  nation.     It  seems  to  me  this  trouble  out  hwe 


242  UNDER   OTIS  IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

might  have  been  settled  without  an  appeal  to 
arms." 

On  and  on  they  went,  until  Sorrel  began  to  lag 
behind,  and  then  they  sat  down  in  the  shade  to 
rest.  They  had  now  reached  a  road  running 
directly  to  the  cemetery  on  the  hilltop. 

"  Listen !  I  hear  the  rattle  of  wagon  wheels !  " 
cried  Ben,  a  while  later.  "  Be  on  guard,  Gilbert !  " 
and  he  leaped  up  and  ran  for  some  nearby  brush. 
Sorrel  and  the  Southerner  did  likewise,  but  the 
alarm  was  unnecessary,  for  the  approaching  turn- 
out proved  to  be  an  ambulance  belonging  to 
^General  MacArthur's  division,  carrying  several 
wounded  who  had  been  picked  up  in  out  of  the 
way  places.  The  ambulance  was  stopped,  and 
those  in  charge  agreed  to  take  Sorrel  on  board 
and  to  the  general  hospital  in  Manila. 

"Good-by,"  said  Gilbert,  tenderly.  "I'll  not 
forget  you  for  what  you  did  for  me,"  and  Sorrel 
smiled  faintly,  and  said  good-by  to  both  him  and 
Ben.  Although  the  Tennesseean  was  not  seriously 
wounded,  it  was  many  a  day  before  he  again 
appeared  in  the  ranks. 

With  the  wounded  man  off  their  hands,  it  was 
an  easy  matter  for  Ben  and  Gilbert  to  move  along 


INTO   THE  JUNGLE  AND   OUT  243 

in  the  direction  where  they  were  told  their  regi- 
ment lay,  not  far  from  the  cemetery  proper.  In- 
side of  an  hour,  they  were  back  to  their  separate 
companies,  each  eating  a  hearty  breakfast,  and  tell- 
ing his  story  to  the  crowd  that  gathered  around 
him. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  TAKING   OF   CALOOCAN 

The  first  great  battle  with  the  Filipinos  had 
been  fought  and  won,  and  to  the  south  and  east 
the  rebels  were  thoroughly  demoralized  and 
scarcely"  knew  what  to  do  next.  They  took  shel- 
ter in  every  village,  jungle,  and  trench  they  could 
find,  but  were  dislodged  from  one  position  after 
another,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  habitations 
they  had  occupied  were  destroyed.  Four  days 
after  the  big  battle  little  was  left  of  them  in  the 
directions  mentioned. 

But  to  the  northward  it  was  different.  About 
twenty-five  miles  above  Manila  was  Malolos,  now 
the  seat  of  Aguinaldo's  government,  a  pretty  town 
containing  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  inhabit- 
ants. Between  Malolos  and  Manila  lay  Caloocan, 
Polo,  and  several  other  places  of  minor  impor^ 
tance,  all  along  the  single  railroad  of  which  the 
island  boasted. 

244 


THE   TAKING   OP   CALOOCAN  245 

Feeling  that  if  he  was  defeated  in  his  attack  on 
the  city,  the  Americans  would  at  once  advance 
upon  the  Filipino  capital,  Aguinaldo  had  strongly- 
fortified  Caloocan  and  also  its  sister  city,  Malabon, 
lying  directly  west  of  it,  on  Manila  Bay.  In- 
trenchment  after  intrenchment  had  been  thrown 
up,  and  along  the  railroad  a  masked  battery  was 
planted  so  that  it  might  sweep  not  only  the  track, 
but  also  the  cut  through  which  the  road  ran.  And 
while  this  was  going  on  the  scattered  troops  were 
driven  together  and  sent  to  the  vicinity  with  all 
possible  speed,  so  that  by  Friday,  February  10, 
the  Filipino  forces  in  and  behind  Caloocan  num- 
bered nearly  fifteen  thousand  men. 

But  while  the  rebels  had  been  active,  the  Ameri- 
cans had  not  been  idle.  As  soon  as  the  Filipinos 
east  and  south  were  widely  scattered,  such  United 
States  soldiers  as  could  be  spared  from  other  fir- 
ing lines  were  marched  to  the  northward,  beyond 
Binondo  church,  and  on  Thursday  this  portion  of 
our  army  lay  on  the  hill,  with  Caloocan  but  two 
miles  away.  Field  glasses  readily  uncovered  the 
rebels'  activity. 

"  They  are  going  to  resist  us  for  all  they  know 
how,    lieutenant,"    remarked    Captain    Larchmore, 


246  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

as  he  and  Ben  went  forward  to  survey  the  situa« 
tion. 

"  We  ought  not  to  give  them  so  much  time^ 
captain,  in  my  opinion,"  replied  Ben,  who  was 
still  acting  first  lieutenant,  Ross  being  completely 
prostrated  from  the  terrific  heat.  "  I  believe  when 
you  get  an  enemy  on  the  run,  to  keep  him  on  the 
run." 

"There  is  a  good  deal  in  that,  Russell;  but 
you  must  remember  that  this  is  a  strange  country 
to  the  generals  as  well  as  to  us.  We  haven't 
even  a  reliable  map  to  consult,  and  it  won't  do 
for  us  to  run  into  an  ambush,  or  something  like 
that." 

"I  wonder  if  General  Aguinaldo  is  in  the  field." 

"I  believe  not.  He  has  headquarters  at  Ma- 
lolos." 

"Then  that  is  where  we  want  to  get  to.  I 
believe  he  is  the  head  and  front  of  this  rebellion." 

"  Undoubtedly.  Do  you  know,  I  pity  some  of 
the  poor  rebels,  like  those  Igorrote  spearmen,  for 
instance.  They  hardly  know  what  they  are  fight- 
ing for,  and  one  of  them,  who  was  brought  in 
wounded,  said  Aguinaldo  gave  them  a  position  in 
the  advance  guard,  as  a  place  of  honor  !  " 


THE   TAKING    OF    CALOOCAN  247 

"If  Aguinaldo  isn't  on  his  guard,  they'll  turn 
on  hiin  and  kill  him,"  returned  another  officer,  who 
stood  near.  "I  heard  that  all  the  different  divi- 
sions of  the  Filipinos  were  fighting  like  cats  and 
dogs  among  themselves." 

"That's  true,"  put  in  another.  "I'll  tell  you 
what  it  is,  we've  got  to  bring  them  into  submis- 
sion. If  we  don't,  they'll  be  fighting  among  them- 
selves all  the  time,  until  the  Chinese  or  Japanese 
rise  up  and  take  them  in,  land  and  all.  It's  the 
one  chance  of  making  a  civilized,  Christianized  na- 
tion of  them." 

It  had  been  decided  that  the  navy  should  co- 
operate in  the  attack  northward,  and  early  on 
Friday  morning  the  monitor  Monadnock  and  the 
cruiser  Charleston  shelled  the  enemy's  territory  for 
half  an  hour,  demolishing  a  number  of  buildings 
and  causing  a  large  body  of  non-combatants  to  flee 
for  their  lives.  This  attack  was  also  participated 
in  by  General  MacArthur's  artillery,  perched  on  the 
top  of  Cemetery  Ridge. 

"That  will  wake  them  up,"  said  Gilbert.  "I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  we  get  into  it  soon." 

The  young  Southerner  was  right.  At  the  end 
of  the  half-hour  the  ships  and  the  artillery  stopped 


248  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

hostilities,  and  then  a  solitary  gun  boomed  out  three 
times,  at  intervals  of  ten  seconds,  as  a  signal  for 
the  entire  line  to  advance.  Drums  rattled  and 
bugles  blew,  and  once  more  Ben's  regiment  was 
in  motion,  each  soldier  ready  as  before  to  do  his 
utmost. 

The  first  advance,  down  the  hill,  was  an  easy 
matter.  The  regiment  was  well  spread  out,  and 
each  man  felt  fresh  after  the  rest  he  had  received. 
So  far  no  shots  had  been  fired,  but  scarcely  had 
the  bottom  of  the  hill  been  gained,  than  the  Fili- 
pinos opened  up  from  several  nipa  huts  and  a  ba- 
nana grove,  and  in  a  trice  the  battle  waged  as 
fiercely  as  before. 

An  open  field  five  hundred  feet  square  is  not 
usually  a  difficult  stretch  to  cross,  but  in  the  face 
of  such  a  galling  fire,  the  battalion  to  which  Ben 
belonged  found  the  task  hard  and  perilous. 

"  We  must  reach  the  bamboo  fence  !  "  cried  Major 
Morris.  "  Forward,  boys,  and  make  every  shot 
tell !  "  And  the  "  boys  "  went  forward  with  a  rush 
and  a  wild  yell.  But  before  the  barrier  mentioned 
was  gained,  several  went  down,  one  to  rise  no 
more. 

The  run  in  the  hot  sun  was  exhausting,  and  at 


THE  TAKING  OF  CALOOCAN        249 

the  fence  the  battalion  paused  to  catch  its  breath. 
Water  was  at  a  premium,  and  officers  and  men 
alike  suffered.  Then  came  a  tumble  into  a  ditch 
beside  the  fence,  and  all  were  covered  with  dust 
and  dirt. 

The  regiment  had  now  gained  fair  shelter,  and 
from  the  fence  they  poured  such  a  hot  fire  into 
the  banana  grove,  that  the  Filipinos  slowly  re- 
treated. Then  the  second  battalion  was  ordered 
ahead,  while  the  first  made  a  detour  to  the  right, 
and  in  quarter  of  an  hour  the  first  of  the  nipa 
huts  was  surrounded.  It  contained  nine  Filipinos, 
who  were  speedily  called  upon  to  surrender.  They 
would  not  at  first,  but  when  two  were  wounded 
they  thought  better  of  it,  and  throwing  down  their 
rifles  and  bolos,  came  forth,  holding  their  hands  up 
before  them.  They  were  immediately  placed  under 
guard  and  sent  to  the  rear. 

Finding  that  they  could  not  hold  their  position 
in  the  vicinity,  the  Filipinos  retreated  in  squads 
and  companies,  the  majority  of  them  along  the 
road  leading  directly  to  Caloocan.  With  this  army 
went  a  large  portion  of  those  who  owned  the  huts, 
taking  with  them  such  of  their  household  effects  as 
they  could  conveniently  carry.     In  many  cases  the 


250  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

huts  were  burned,  and  the  smoke,  mingled  with 
the  smoke  from  thousands  of  rifles,  soon  covered 
road  and  fields  with  a  heavy  pall. 

Ben's  command  passed  the  grove  of  bananas  to 
find  itself  on  the  edge  of  an  extensive  paddy  field. 
Beyond  was  a  fringe  of  forest,  dotted  everywhere 
with  the  forms  of  the  enemy.  A  constant  firing 
began  the  moment  the  Americans  appeared,  and 
all  saw  that  the  crossing  of  this  second  open  field 
was  going  to  be  no  easy  task. 

"  We  will  advance  to  the  first  ditch  !  "  cried  the 
captain.  "Don't  fire  until  you  are  down  and  pro- 
tected.    Double-quick  —  forward  !  " 

Away  they  went,  leaping  the  fence  of  the  rice 
field  at  a  bound.  Fortunately  there  was  hardly 
any  water,  and  beside  the  irrigating  ditch  it  was 
quite  dry.  Down  they  tumbled,  lying  flat  on  the 
ground,  the  different  companies  forming  an  irregu- 
lar line  several  hundred  yards  long.  In  this  posi- 
tion the  soldiers  fired  at  will,  taking  careful  aim 
over  the  slight  rise  of  ground  before  them. 

"I  wonder  how  long  this  is  going  to  last,"  re- 
marked Ben  to  Captain  Larchmore,  as  the  two 
came  together.  "It's  tough  on  the  boys  to  lie  in 
that  ditch  in  this  heat." 


THE   TAKING   OF   CALOOCAN  251 

"That's  true,  Russell.  But  it's  one  of  the  for- 
tunes of  war.  If  the  Pili —  There  goes  the 
bugle  !  Company,  attention  !  Forward  —  to  the 
next  ditch  ! "  And  away  they  went  for  another 
hundred  feet,  the  men  still  firing  at  will.  A  few 
of  the  enemy  thought  they  were  going  to  keep 
straight  on,  and  began  to  retreat,  but  the  majority 
held  their  ground. 

The  command  was  now  so  close  to  the  jungle 
that  each  individual  rebel  could  be  seen  with  ease, 
and  the  soldiers  picked  their  targets  before  firing. 
This  made  the  battle  more  hazardous  as  well  as 
interesting.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  closer 
they  got  to  danger,  the  less  the  troops  under  Uncle 
Sam  seemed  to  notice  it. 

"  Sure,  an'  we  could  wipe  'em  out  directly  ! " 
muttered  Casey.  "Just  lit  us  go  ahead  an'  we'll 
show  'em  !  " 

"Yah,  let  us  run  dem  right  off  dot  island,"  put 
in  Carl  Stummer.  "  Who  vos  afraid  ?  Nopotty  !  " 
And  he  started  to  run,  and  would  have  gone 
ahead  alone  had  not  several  held  him  back.  Each 
man  was  on  his  mettle  and  burning  to  distinguish 
himself. 

At  last  came  a  cry  from  the  right   of  the  line. 


252  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  The  Filipinos  are  retreating  to  the  road  !  After 
them  !  "  The  report  proved  true,  and  as  quickly 
as  it  could  be  done,  the  regiment  was  swung 
around,  passing  the  jungle  on  the  right.  As  the 
road  was  gained  the  rebels  concentrated  their  fire, 
and  for  a  moment  the  onward  rush  was  checked, 
and  some  of  our  men  retreated.  But  only  for  a 
moment ;  then  the  Americans  swept  on,  and  the 
rebels  fled  straight  to  Caloocan  and  to  the  hills 
lying  in  the  direction  of  Polo,  and  other  points 
northward. 

"  On  to  the  town  !  "  was  the  next  cry,  and  into 
the  city  they  advanced,  the  Filipinos  contesting 
every  step  stubbornly  but  unsuccessfully.  A  stand 
was  taken  at  a  church  and  at  several  public  and 
private  buildings ;  but  the  blood  of  the  Americans 
was  now  up  and  they  forced  the  rebels  out,  in 
many  cases  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

Compelled  to  give  up  the  city,  the  Filipinos  tried 
their  best  to  burn  the  main  portion  of  the  town, 
and  soon  the  smaller  houses  were  a  mass  of  flames. 
An  attempt  was  also  made  to  burn  the  church  and 
the  city  hall,  but  here  the  Americans  interfered, 
and  many  of  the  rebels  were  caught  and  taken 
prisoners.     The  general  advance  had  begun  at  one 


THE   TAKING  OF   CALOOCAN  253 

o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  At  half-past  five  Old 
Glory  was  swung  to  the  breeze  from  the  flagstaff 
of  the  city  hall,  and  rebel  sway  in  Caloocan  be- 
came a  thing  of  the  past.  Defeated  once  more,  the 
Filipinos  retreated  to  Malabon,  to  Polo,  and  to 
other  strongholds  in  the  vicinity. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A   STRANGE   MEETING   IN   MANILA 

The  fight  had  been  a  hard  one,  and  the  regiment 
to  which  Ben  belonged  was  glad  to  rest  the  next 
day,  camping  in  the  very  centre  of  Caloocan,  in 
what  had  once  been  a  public  park.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  watch  those  still  in  the  city,  but  the  bravery 
of  the  Americans  had  had  its  effect,  and  the  Tagals 
and  their  Spanish  allies  gave  but  little  trouble. 

The  next  day  was  one  full  of  discomfort  for  that 
portion  of  the  Filipino  army  which  had  retreated  to 
Malabon.  This  town,  as  before  described,  lies  di- 
rectly on  the  shore  of  Manila  Bay,  and  word  being 
sent  to  the  navy,  the  Monadnock  and  Charleston 
steamed  in  close  and  shelled  the  city  and  the  rebel 
camps  so  hotly  that  the  Filipinos  were  compelled  to 
retreat  inland,  with  the  loss  of  several  score  of  men. 

In  the  meantime  our  navy  was  not  idle  elsewhere. 
Ilo  Ilo  is  the  second  seaport  of  importance  in  the 
Philippine  Islands,  and  while  the  rebels  were  being 

254 


A   STRANGE   MEETING  IN   MANILA  255 

shelled  out  of  Malabon,  the  Petrel  and  the  Boston 
shelled  this  stronghold.  As  the  rebels  fled,  some 
sailors  landed,  followed  by  a  body  of  regulars  and 
another  of  volunteers,  and  once  more  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  swelled  proudly  to  the  breeze.  The  rebels 
retreated  to  the  village  of  Jaro,  but  were  dislodged, 
and  then  they  fled  to  the  mountains. 

It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  Tagals  and 
those  who  had  taken  up  arms  with  them  were  now 
desperate.  Having  been  whipped  in  the  open  field, 
so  to  speak,  one  of  the  leading  officers  of  the  Tagals 
issued  an  extraordinary  order  to  the  natives  who 
still  remained  in  Manila,  directing  an  uprising  at 
a  certain  hour,  in  which  every  American  and  all  in 
sympathy  with  our  cause  should  be  "slain  without 
compassion." 

Had  this  plot  not  been  discovered,  its  effect  might 
have  been  truly  disastrous,  for  Manila  now  con- 
tained only  such  of  our  soldiers  as  could  be  spared 
from  the  firing  line.  But  word  of  the  intended 
massacre  was  received  in  time,  extra  guards  were 
placed  upon  all  streets  and  in  all  public  places,  and 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  persons  known  to  be  of 
rebellious  tendencies  were  arrested.  These  arrests 
had  a  dampening  effect,  and  the  massacre  did  not 


256  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

take  place,  the  Filipinos  determining  to  wait  for  a 
more  favorable  opportunity. 

"  Lieutenant  Russell,  the  general  wishes  to  send 
some  one  to  Manila  on  a  matter  of  considerable  im- 
portance," said  Captain  Larchmore,  some  days  after 
the  fight  just  described.  "  All  the  members  of  his 
staff  are  either  away  or  on  the  sick  list,  and  I  have 
recommended  you  for  the  duty." 

"  Thank  you,  captain,  I'll  be  glad  of  the  chance  to 
get  into  the  city  again,"  answered  Ben.  "  When 
am  I  to  report?" 

"At  once  —  if  you  want  to  go.  There  is  a  flat 
car  to  start  for  town  in  an  hour,  and  you  can 
ride  in  state  on  top,"  went  on  Captain  Larchmore, 
with  a  laugh.  The  "one-horse"  railroad  was  a 
constant  source  of  amusement  to  those  who  had 
occasion  to  use  it,  yet  for  transporting  supplies  it 
was  found  very  useful. 

Brushing  up  for  the  occasion,  Ben  made  his  way 
to  General  MacArthur's  headquarters  and  pre- 
sented himself.  "  Captain  Larchmore  just  notified 
me  that  you  would  like  me  to  go  to  Manila  for 
you,  general,"  he  said,  after  having  saluted  his 
superior  and  also  the  American  flag  flying  in 
front  of  the  tent. 


A   STEANGE  MEETING   IN  MANILA  257 

"  The  captain  was  right,  Lieutenant  Russell. 
Can  you  go  immediately?" 

"  I  can,  sir." 

"  If  I  had  a  horse  handy,  you  could  have  it,  but 
as  it  is,  you  will  have  to  make  the  journey  on  one 
of  the  railroad  cars.  I  have  an  extra  horse  in 
Manila,  and  if  you  want  to  do  so,  you  can  bring 
him  back  for  me.  Here  is  a  document  I  wish 
delivered  to  General  Otis  in  person,  and  if  you 
will,  you  can  wait  until  he  can  answer  it  fully. 
Perhaps  he  won't  be  able  to  give  you  the  reply 
immediately." 

"I'll  wait  for  it,  general,"  answered  Ben,  and, 
taking  the  extended  letter,  put  it  in  an  inside 
pocket.  A  few  more  words  passed,  and  then  the 
young  lieutenant  hurried  for  the  railroad  depot. 
A  detail  was  busy  unloading  supplies,  and  from 
one  of  the  men  he  learned  that  a  hand-car  was 
going  to  start  for  Manila  immediately. 

"  That  will  suit  me,"  answered  Ben,  and,  locating 
the  hand-car,  he  hopped  aboard.  Five  soldiers  fol- 
lowed, and  soon  the  car  went  spinning  down  the 
tracks,  making  very  good  time,  considering  the 
condition  of  the  somewhat  torn-up  road-bed. 

The   end   of    the    line   reached    in   Manila,    Ben 


258  UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

thanked  the  men  who  had  "pumped"  him  to  hia 
destination,  and  hurried  in  the  direction  of  the 
governor-general's  headquarters,  a  fine  stone  build- 
ing surrounded  by  stately  trees  and  broad  walks. 
Ascending  the  steps,  he  found  himself  challenged 
by  a  guard,  who  demanded  to  know  what  he 
wanted. 

"t  have  a  document  which  is  to  be  delivered 
personally,"  replied  the  young  lieutenant,  and  ex- 
plained matters. 

It  was  fully  half  an  hour  before  he  could  get 
into  the  apartment  which  Major-General  Otis 
occupied.  He  found  the  military  governor  of  the 
Philippines  seated  at  a  broad  desk.  Beside  him 
sat  his  secretary,  and  in  a  corner  sat  several  in- 
fluential native  citizens  who  had  called  to  ask  for 
better  protection  against  the  rebellious  Tagals  who 
were  plotting  to  do  them  harm. 

"  Well,  lieutenant,  what  is  it  ? "  demanded  the 
general,  quickly,  but  with  a  pleasant  smile. 

"  A  document  for  you,  general,"  was  the  answer, 
and  Ben  saluted  and  handed  it  over.  Breaking  the 
seal,  the  military  governor  of  the  Philippines  read 
the  paper  with  interest. 

"You  may  inform  your  commandant  that  I  will 


A  STRANGE  MEETING   IN  MANILA  259 

furnish  the  information  by  to-morrow  noon,"  he 
said,  when  he  had  finished.  "I  can  tell  him 
nothing  at  present." 

"  Shall  I  call  for  the  answer  at  that  time  ?  The 
general  said  I  might  remain  in  Manila  for  it." 

"Very  well  then,  call  at  noon,  and  you  can  take 
it  hack  with  you."  Major-General  Otis  surveyed 
Ben  critically.  "How  are  you  boys  doing  up  at 
Caloocan  ?  " 

"Just  now  we  are  resting." 

"  The  health  of  the  company  is  pretty  good  ?  " 

"We  have  six  on  the  sick  list,  sir.  The  drink- 
ing-water and  heat  seem  to  affect  them  more  than 
the  fighting." 

"  Yes,  the  water  is  bad,  —  but  that  cannot  be 
helped."  General  Otis  paused.  "  That  is  all,  lieu- 
tenant," and  Ben  felt  himself  dismissed,  and  with 
another  salute  he  walked  outside. 

"  A  fine-looking  man,"  he  thought,  as  he  hurried 
away.  "  And  he  will  make  us  comfortable  if  he 
can."  He  had  heard  others  say  that  General  Otis 
was  continually  asking  about  the  condition  of  this 
regiment  or  that,  with  the  idea  of  improving 
matters  if  they  were  not  as  they  should  be.  Some- 
times   matters    went    wrong,    and    certain    troops 


260  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

suffered,  but  for  this  the  commander-in-chief  was 
not  directly  responsible. 

Feeling  that  he  had  the  remainder  of  the  day 
and  a  good  part  of  the  next  to  himself,  the  young 
lieutenant  recrossed  the  Pasig  River  and  took 
his  way  to  the  Tondo  district  and  to  the  wharves. 
He  knew  that  the  Olympia  was  lying  not  far  off, 
and  he  wondered  if  anybody  he  knew  was  on 
shore. 

"  Lieutenant  Russell,  as  I'm  alive !  "  came  a  cry 
from  behind  a  pile  of  merchandise  on  one  of  the 
wharves,  and  knocking  the  ashes  from  his  pipe, 
Jack  Biddle  came  forward  and  offered  his  hand, 
which  Ben  shook  warmly. 

"  Came  ashore  about  an  hour  ago  and  was  wait- 
ing for  Larry  and  some  of  the  others,"  said  Biddle, 
in  reply  to  Ben's  question.  "Yes,  Larry's  as  chip- 
per as  ever,  but  we  don't  like  it  for  a  cent  that 
you  soldiers  are  doing  all  the  fighting  while  we 
sit  and  suck  our  thumbs." 

"  Some  of  the  ships  are  hard  at  work  shelling 
the  shore  towns." 

"  Yes,  but  not  the  flagship,  lieutenant.  But 
perhaps  our  turn  will  come.  Sit  down,  and  Larry 
will  be  along  soon,"  and  Ben  sat  down,  there  being 


A   STRANGE  MEETING  IN  MANILA  261 

nothing  better  to  do.  While  they  waited,  the 
young  lieutenant  asked  what  had  become  of 
Quartermaster  Yarrow. 

"He  was  eourt-martialled  and  reduced  to  the 
rank  of  ordinary  seaman,"  answered  Jack  Biddle. 
"He  isn't  on  the  Olympia  either,  but  on  one  of 
the  smaller  ships.  I  think  they're  going  to  send 
him  back  to  duty  on  the  Pacific  coast  soon." 

"  It's  a  good  thing  you've  got  rid  of  him,  Biddle. 
He  was  thoroughly  bad." 

"Right  you  are,  lieutenant.  I  didn't  feel  easy 
all  the  while  he  was  aboard.  He'd  be  a  good  one 
to  join  the  cutthroats  who  were  going  to  murder 
all  our  people  in  Manila  last  week." 

"  That  event  must  have  made  a  lot  of  excite- 
ment here." 

"You  can  bet  it  did,  lieutenant.  They  sent 
word  over  to  the  ship  to  be  in  readiness  for  a  call, 
but  it  didn't  come.  The  Oregon  and  the  Minne- 
sota boys  collared  the  leaders  before  they  knew 
what  was  happening  to  them,  —  and  they  are  in 
jail  yet." 

"Yes,  but  there  are  more  rascals  still,  Biddle. 
I  was  told  that  the  whole  city  was  full  of  natives 
who  will   do  almost   anything  that  the   leaders  at 


262  UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Malolos  dictate.  They'll  be  up  to  some  other 
vicious  trick  before  long."  Ben  took  a  look  out 
into  the  bay.  "  Here  comes  another  boatload  of 
sailors  now.     Is  that  from  your  ship  ?  " 

"  It  is.  You  see  to-morrow  is  Washington's 
Birthday,  and  for  extra  good  behavior  some  of 
the  lads  are  to  get  off  until  nine  to-night,  while 
another  gang  gets  off  to-morrow  afternoon.  Larry 
and  I  wanted  to-morrow,  but  a  Jackie  must  take 
leave  when  he  can  get  it." 

"The  boat  isn't  coming  here." 

"So  I  see.  Some  of  the  boats  from  the  other 
ships  landed  at  a  dock  two  squares  below  here, 
and  they  are  heading  in  the  same  direction.  Come, 
let  us  meet  them." 

They  started  off,  across  the  dock,  to  the  street 
beyond.  It  was  now  growing  dusk,  and  the  electric 
lights  had  just  been  turned  on.  As  they  reached 
the  entrance  to  the  second  landing-place,  a  crowd 
met  them  and  they  were  compelled  to  pause. 

"  Lots  of  you  chaps  around  here,"  said  a  man 
dressed  in  civilian's  clothes,  addressing  Ben.  "Ma- 
nila  must  have  more  soldiers  in  it  than   natives." 

"  We've  got  to  have  a  pretty  strong  guard," 
answered   Ben,   pleasantly,  and   turned   to  look  at 


A   STRANGE  MEETING  IN  MANILA  263 

the  man.  The  electric  light  shone  full  in  his  face 
and  he  could  see  the  features  distinctly.  "  Great 
Ceesar ! "    , 

It  was  no  wonder  that  the  young  lieutenant 
uttered  the  exclamation.  He  recognized  the  in- 
dividual on  the  instant,  despite  a  short  beard 
that  was  of  new  growth.  The  man  was  Braxton 
Bogg,  the  missing  cashier,  who  had  wrecked  the 
Hearthstone  Savings  Institution  at  home. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE   CHASE   IN   THE   DARK 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  asked  Braxton  Bogg, 
with  interest.  He  was  a  small,  thin  man,  with  a 
foxy  pair  of  blue  eyes,  and  a  nose  that  had  a  slight 
turn-up  at  the  end.  It  was  evident  that  he  did 
not  remember  Ben  at  all,  or,  at  least,  did  not  rec- 
ognize him  in  his  uniform. 

"  Braxton  Bogg  !  "  ejaculated  the  youth.  *'  How 
did  you  get  away  out  here  ? " 

At  the  mention  of  his  name,  the  cashier  started 
back  and  his  face  grew  full  of  alarm.  But  only 
for  an  instant.  He  straightened  up  immediately 
and  put  on  a  cold  front. 

"  You  evidently  mistake  me  for  somebody  else, 
officer,"  he  answered  calmly. 

"  Why  —  er  —  aren't  you  Braxton  Bogg  from 
Buffalo  ? "  demanded  Ben,  more  astonished  than 
ever,  to  think  that  two  men  might  look  so  much 
alike. 

264 


THE   CHASE   IN   THE   DAEK  265 

"  Not  at  all.  My  name  is  Carson  Hope,  and  1 
come  from  Oakland,  California.  Is  this  Braxton 
Bogg  a  friend  of  yours  ? " 

"  A  friend  ?  Hardly.  He  wrecked  a  bank  and 
ran  off  with  something  like  a  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  dollars  of  the  funds." 

"In  that  case  I  shouldn't  want  to  know  him." 

"He  was  a  thorough-paced  scoundrel,"  went  on 
Ben,  hardly  knowing  what  to  say.  If  this  was  not 
the  missing  cashier,  it  must  be  his  ghost. 

"Yes,  any  man  who  steals  is  a  scoundrel.  But 
I  must  be  getting  along,  as  I  have  a  friend  waiting 
for  me."  And  Braxton  Bogg  commenced  to  edge 
his  way  out  of  the  crowd. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,"  and  Ben  caught  him  by 
the  arm. 

"  What  do  you  want  now  ?  " 

"I  want  to  make  sure  that  there  is  no  mistake." 

"  Do  you  disbelieve  what  I  have  told  you  ?  "  de- 
manded Bogg,  pretending  to  be  very  much  insulted. 

"  I  know  that  you  and  Braxton  Bogg  look  alike 
as  two  peas." 

"I  am  not  the  person  —  I  told  you  that  before. 
I  never  heard  of  him,  and  as  to  being  a  thief,  I 
am    a   respectable    capitalist    from    Oakland,    as    I 


266  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

can  easily  prove.  I  came  to  Manila  looking  for  a 
good  investment  —  after  this  trouble  now  going  on 
is  over." 

"Did  you  bring  your  money  with  you?" 

"  Certainly  not.  Now  let  go  of  me,  or  I  shall 
call  the  police."  And  the  cashier  tried  to  jerk 
away,  but  Ben's  hold  could  not  be  broken.  In 
the  minutes  that  had  passed  the  youth  had  been 
doing  some  rapid  thinking,  and  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  would  be  best  not  to  let  the 
man  out  of  his  sight. 

"If  I've  made  a  mistake,  I'll  take  the  conse- 
quences," he  said  firmly.  "As  a  lieutenant  of  the 
United  States  army  I  request  that  you  come  with 
me  for  an  examination.  Of  course  as  a  well-known 
man  of  Oakland  you  must  know  somebody  con- 
nected with  the  California  troops  stationed  here." 

"No,  I'm  not  a  military  man  —  never  took  any 
interest  in  the  war,"  rejoined  Braxton  Bogg,  tell- 
ing the  truth  for  once.  "I  —  er  —  I  demand  that 
you  let  go  of  me." 

"And  I,  as  a  United  States  army  officer,  de- 
mand that  you  come  with  me,"  was  Ben's  sharp 
answer.  "If  everything  is  straight,  you'll  not  be 
detained  long." 


THE   CHASE   EST   THE   DAEK  267 

"  You  won't  take  my  word  that  everything  is 
all  right  ? "  demanded  the  cashier,  sharply,  at  the 
same  time  looking  around  to  see  if  the  coast  was 
clear.  The  crowd  was  viewing  the  landing  of  the 
sailors,  Biddle  with  the  rest,  and  nobody  was 
around, 

^1  will  not,"  answered  Ben. 

"  Then  take  that,''  came  fiercely,  and  raising  his 
fist,  Braxton  Bogg  brought  it  with  all  force 
against  the  young  lieutenant's  chin. 

The  attack  was  so  unexpected  and  so  sudden 
that  Ben  reeled  back  and  would  have  fallen  had 
not  a  nearby  fence  braced  him  up.  His  hold  on 
the  cashier  relaxed,  and  in  a  twinkle  Braxton 
Bogg  had  broken  away  and  was  running  up  a  side 
street  at  the  best  speed  his  feet  could  command. 

'Hi!  what's  the  row  here ? "  demanded  s*  soldier, 
who  had  turned  the  corner  in  time  to  se*  the 
blow. 

4  That  man  —  he  is  wanted  by  the  authorities 
of  New  York  —  atch  him ! "  panted  Ben,  and 
straightened  up.  His  chin  had  been  cut  by  a 
diamond  ring  the  cashier  wore,  but  just  now  he 
gave  no  attention  to  the  injury. 

•'What  man?" 


268  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  The  man  who  is  running  up  that  street.  Stop 
him  —  or  shoot  him  !  " 

"  Stop,  or  I'll  fire  ! "  roared  the  guard,  recogniz- 
ing Ben's  authority  by  his  shoulder-straps,  for  the 
guards  in  the  city  were  bound  to  obey  any  su- 
perior officer,  no  matter  from  what  regiment.  He 
brought  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder ;  but  before  he 
could  take  aim  Braxton  Bogg  had  darted  out  of 
sight  between  two  large  warehouses. 

As  soon  as  he  could  recover,  Ben  made  after 
the  vanishing  form,  and  the  guard  followed.  But 
when  the  end  of  his  beat  was  reached  the  latter 
stopped,  leaving  Ben  to  go  on  alone.  It  was 
rather  dark  between  the  warehouses,  yet  the 
young  lieutenant  could  hear  the  patter  of  the 
cashier's  feet  on  the  stone  pavements,  and  grad- 
ually he  began  to  gain  on  the  man. 

The  chase  led  into  the  heart  of  the  Tondo 
quarter  of  Manila,  the  warehouse  centre,  where 
millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  goods  were  stored  and 
where  many  of  the  natives  had  their  homes.  Evi- 
dently Braxton  Bogg  did  not  know  how  to  turn, 
for  presently  he  found  himself  in  a  blind  alley- 
way with  tall  storehouses  on  three  sides.  The 
lower  doors  of   one  of  the  storehouses  were  open, 


THE   CHASE  12*  THE   DARK  269 

and  through  these  he  raced  almost  out  of  breath 
and  dripping  with  perspiration,  for  the  night  was 
a  close  one. 

Ben  had  kept  on  gaining,  and  was  less  than  fifty 
feet  behind  when  the  cashier  ran  into  the  ware- 
house. Drawing  his  pistol,  the  young  lieutenant 
prepared  to  follow.  He  wished  that  he  had  a  light, 
or  that  there  might  be  a  light  in  the  building, 
whereby  he  could  see   what  he  was  doing. 

His  wish  was  gratified,  but  not  in  the  manner 
that  he  desired.  As  he  came  closer  to  the  doorway 
he  heard  a  match  struck,  and  in  a  flash  came  a 
bright  light,  as  some  straw  soaked  with  oil  ignited. 

"  Hi !  what's  this  mean  ? "  he  heard  Braxton 
8ogg  exclaim.     "  Going  to  burn  the  place  down  ?  " 

"  Burn  !  burn  !  burn  !  "  came  the  answer,  in  a 
wild  Tagalese  cry.  **  Down  with  the  vile  Ameri- 
cans !  Long  live  the  Philippine  Republic  !  "  And 
as  Ben  reached  the  doorway  he  was  just  in  time 
to  see  a  burly  native  hit  the  cashier  on  the  head 
with  a  club,  flooring  him  completely. 

Ben  did  not  hesitate  as  to  what  was  his  duty  in 
the  case  before  him.  His  campaign  in  Cuba,  and 
the  present  campaign,  had  taught  him  the  value  of 
acting  quickly  under  certain  circumstances.     Rais- 


270  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

ing  his  pistol,  he  took  aim  at  the  native  incendiary 
and  fired. 

The  report  was  followed  by  a  yell  of  pain,  and 
the  burly  Tagal  staggered  back,  hit  in  the  side. 
But  he  was  game,  and  seeing  who  had  fired  at  him, 
he  leaped  upon  Ben,  just  as  the  young  officer  fired 
again.  By  this  time  half  a  dozen  other  natives 
appeared,  three  bearing  torches,  and  all  armed  with 
pistols  and  knives. 

The  flash  from  the  pistol  burnt  the  Tagal  on  the 
bare  arm,  but  the  bullet  buried  itself  in  the  goods 
in  the  warehouse.  Before  Ben  could  pull  the  trig- 
ger a  third  time,  he  was  hit  on  the  head  and  in 
the  back,  and  he  went  down  bewildered  and  with 
a  million  stars  dancing  before  his  eyes. 

"  The  American  pig  is  dead  !  "  cried  one  of  the 
natives,  kicking  the  form  with  his  bare  foot. 
"Come  on!  This  is  our  night  of  victory!  We  win, 
or  the  whole  city  goes  down  in  ashes  !  "  He  led 
the  way  out  of  the  alleyway  on  a  run,  and  his  fel- 
lows came  after,  only  one  lingering,  to  set  fire  to 
another  warehouse  standing  on  the  street   corner. 

The  roaring  of  the  flames  and  the  terrific  heat 
brought  the  young  lieutenant  around  as  soon  as 
anything.     Hardly  knowing  what  he  was  doing,  he 


THE   CHASE   IN   THE   DARK  271 

rolled  over  and  got  up  on  his  hands  and  knees.  It 
was  a  good  minute  before  he  could  stand  upright, 
and  in  that  space  of  time  the  fire  gained  rapid 
headway,  for  the  warehouses  were  as  dry  as  tinder. 

"  The  rascal ! "  he  murmured,  and  then  stared 
hard  at  the  fire.  "  What  does  this  mean  ?  Are 
the   natives   rising   again?     It  looks  like   it." 

The  wind  was  coming  up,  and  presently  a  shower 
of  sparks  descended  upon  him,  making  him  realize 
that  if  he  wished  to  escape  with  his  life  he  must 
run  for  it.  He  picked  up  his  pistol  and  looked 
into  the  warehouse  into  which  Braxton  Bogg  had 
gone.     The  cashier  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  He  ran  away  —  or  else  he  has  been  burnt  up," 
muttered  Ben,  and  hurried  up  the  alleyway  toward 
the  street  through  which  he  had  passed  less  than 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  before.  But  now  the  ware- 
house on  the  corner  was  burning  fiercely,  and  it 
was  filled  with  barrels  of  spirits.  As  Ben  ap- 
proached, there  was  a  dull  explosion  and  the  flames 
burst  forth  in  a  dozen  directions,  completely  cutting 
off  his  escape. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  TONDO  QUARTER  OP  MANILA 

Ever  since  American  occupation  of  the  Philip- 
pines had  begun,  in  August,  1898,  those  in  authority 
had  feared  a  great  conflagration  in  Manila.  The 
city  was  thickly  populated,  many  of  the  buildings 
were  of  wood  or  bamboo,  covered  with  nipa  leaves, 
and  closely  huddled  together,  and  the  public  fire  de- 
partment was  little  better  than  a  name.  A  great  fire 
in  a  dry  season,  therefore,  was  bound  to  do  immense 
damage. 

The  plotters  in  the  city  had  tried  one  plan  to 
defeat  the  Americans  and  had  failed.  Now  they 
were  determined  to  try  another.  They  would  burn 
the  enemy  out  or  raze  the  city  from  end  to  end. 
With  them  it  was  rule  or  ruin ;  no  middle  course 
would  satisfy  them. 

The  first  fire  to  be  started  was  one  in  the  Santa 
Cruz  district,  among  a  number  of  houses  occupied 
by  residents  who  had  refused  to  contribute  to  the 

272 


BURNING  OF  THE  TONDO  QUARTER     273 

support  of  General  Aguinaldo's  forces.  A  brisk 
wind  swept  the  flames  toward  the  Escolta,  the  main 
business  thoroughfare  of  Manila,  and  not  only  the 
regular  fire  department,  but  also  the  English  and 
German  volunteer  departments,  came  out  to  subdue 
the  flames. 

The  fire  in  the  Santa  Cruz  district  was  well  under 
way  when  another  alarm  rang  out,  this  time  from 
the  Tondo  quarter.  It  came  from  a  collection  of 
bamboo  huts,  and  spread  with  the  rapidity  of  light- 
ning as  the  wind  fanned  it  and  carried  the  sparks 
onward.  This  was  on  the  very  outskirts,  but  less 
than  five  minutes  afterward  two  more  alarms  were 
given,  in  the  heart  of  the  district,  and  warehouses 
and  costly  homes  began  to  go  up  into  smoke,  en- 
tailing the  loss  of  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars'  worth  of  property,  and  imperilling  thousands 
of  lives. 

In  the  meantime,  the  natives  were  collecting,  and 
those  who  had  rifles  formed  a  company  and  attacked 
the  Tondo  church,  where  a  company  of  Minnesota 
volunteers  were  located.  Other  natives  attacked 
our  soldiers  in  the  streets,  and  then  joined  in  the 
general  skirmish  on  the  Calle  Iris,  a  broad  high- 
way which  separates  Tondo  from  the  remainder  of 


274  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Manila.  Amid  the  crackling  of  the  flames,  the 
rattle  of  musketry,  and  the  frantic  efforts  of  some 
inhabitants  to  save  their  effects,  it  was  as  if  pande- 
monium had  broken  loose,  a  night  of  terror  which 
those  who  took  part  will  not  forget  as  long  as  they 
live. 

But  to  none  of  these  calamities  did  Ben  give 
thought  as  he  backed  down  into  the  alleyway,  now 
as  hot  as  a  bake  oven,  and  with  sparks  and  burn- 
ing embers  flying  in  all  directions.  He  was  hemmed 
in  —  escape  appeared  impossible.  What  should  he 
do? 

"  I  must  get  out  somehow !  "  he  murmured.  "  I 
must !  "  His  breath  came  thick  and  fast,  and  the 
injuries  to  his  chin  and  his  back  were  forgotten. 
"  God  help  me  to  make  my  escape  !  " 

With  this  prayer  he  hurried  to  the  extreme  rear 
of  the  alleyway.  Here  was  one  warehouse  that 
seemed  as  yet  to  be  untouched  by  the  flames.  But 
the  doors  and  the  windows  were  locked,  and  he 
could  not  budge  them,  although  he  bore  upon  them 
with  all  the  strength  that  he  could  muster. 

Beside  one  of  the  windows  was  a  small  wooden 
ladder,  nailed  fast  to  the  building  and  running  to 
the  roof.     Why  it  had  been  put  there  the  young 


BURNING   OF   THE   TONDO   QUABTEB,  275 

lieutenant  could  not  tell,  but  seeing  it  gave  him 
an  idea.  Perhaps  there  might  be  a  ladder  on  the 
street  side,  and  he  could  escape  by  the  roof.  "  I'll 
try  it,  anyway,"  he  murmured.  "  Anything  is  bet- 
ter than  staying  here." 

It  was  no  mean  task  to  climb  the  ladder,  with 
the  flames  roaring  not  thirty  feet  behind  him  and 
the  sparks  falling  upon  his  naked  hands  and  neck 
as  well  as  his  clothing.  Once  his  coat  took  fire, 
but  he  beat  the  tiny  flame  out  with  his  palm. 
Before  the  top  of  the  warehouse  was  gained,  his 
neck  was  blistered  in  several  places. 

On  high  the  heat  was,  of  course,  worse  than 
below,  and  now  Ben  could  scarcely  draw  a  safe 
breath.  His  brain  reeled  and  he  crawled  rather 
than  walked  to  the  front  edge  of  the  sloping  roof. 

There  was  no  ladder  there,  and  the  distance  to 
the  ground  was  all  of  thirty-five  feet.  Below  was 
a  pavement  of  stone.  "  If  I  drop,  I'll  break  a  leg 
or  something  —  perhaps  my  neck,"  was  his  dismal 
conjecture. 

As  he  stood  in  perplexity  he  heard  a  strange 
hammering  on  one  side  of  the  roof,  and  presently 
a  scuttle  fell  back  and  two  men  appeared,  each 
struggling    with    a    couple    of    buckets   of    water. 


276  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Do  you  see  any  fire  here  ? "  demanded  one,  in 
strong  English  accents. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  a  flame,  Joe,"  was  the  answer. 
"But  it's  as  hot  as  pepper  —  and  more,  don't  you 
know,"  and  then  the  two  men  came  on  the  roof. 
They  stared  at  Ben  as  if  he  was  a  spectre,  as  the 
weird  light  reflected  his  form  against  the  sky. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  demanded  the  first  speaker, 
and  drew  a  pistol  that  he  carried. 

"I  am  an  American  officer  in  trouble,"  was 
Ben's  frank  reply.  "  I  was  caught  in  the  alley- 
way below,  and  came  up  the  ladder  leading  to 
this  roof  in  hope  of  gaining  the  street." 

"  Indeed !  Then  you've  had  a  narrow  escape. 
Any  natives  down  there?" 

"There  were  some  —  the  fellows  who  started 
this  fire.  They  ran  away  after  knocking  me  over 
and  half  stunning  me." 

"  They  ought  all  to  be  hung  !  "  growled  the  taller 
of  the  Englishmen.  "If  I  was  General  Otis,  I'd 
order  a  general  court-martial  and  swing  them  higher 
than  a  kite.  You  can  go  down  this  way  if  you 
want  to.  We  are  bound  to  save  this  warehouse 
if  we  can,  although  we're  only  watchmen  here." 
And  then   the   pair   turned    away,   to   dash   out   a 


BURNING   OF  THE  TONDO   QUARTER  27? 

little  fire  that  had.  just  caught  on  one  corner  of 
the  roof. 

Ben  needed  no  second  invitation,  for  he  felt 
that  if  he  remained  on  the  roof  much  longer  he 
would  collapse.  Letting  himself  down  through 
the  scuttle,  he  felt  his  way  along  a  narrow  ladder 
to  the  floor  below.  Here  a  lantern  was  burning, 
and  by  the  rays  he  made  out  a  stairway  leading 
to  a  sort  of  office,  where  a  door  opened  upon  the 
street. 

When  the  young  lieutenant  finally  gained  a 
place  of  safety,  he  found  himself  hardly  able  to 
stand.  Staggering  to  the  porch  of  a  deserted  house, 
he  fell  rather  than  sat  upon  the  steps. 

The  glare  from  the  conflagration  now  made  all  of 
Manila  as  bright  as  day.  From  the  distance  came 
the  constant  pop-pop  of  bamboo  joints,  as  the  hot 
air  in  them  caused  them  to  explode.  Occasionally 
a  dull  boom  told  of  the  fall  of  some  heavy  timber  or 
the  explosion  of  an  oil  barrel,  for  one  of  the  ware- 
houses was  stocked  with  oil. 

"  It  looks  as  if  Manila  were  doomed,"  he  thought. 
"  I  wonder  what  I  had  best  do  next  ? " 

Then  he  thought  of  his  brother.  Had  Larry 
come  ashore,  and  if  so,  where  was  he  now? 


278  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"He'd  be  safer  on  board  the  Olympia"  he 
went  on.  "But  perhaps  they  have  sent  some  of 
the  seamen  ashore,  to  help  fight  the  flames  and  the 
natives."     And  in  this  surmise  Ben  was  correct. 

"Hi,  'Melican  !  Wot  doee  here?"  The  cry 
came  from  a  Chinaman  who  had  just  staggered  into 
sight,  loaded  down  with  the  weight  of  several 
bundles  of  household  effects. 

"  I'm  about  played  out  and  I'm  resting.  Where 
are  the  soldiers?  do  you  know  at  all?" 

"  Solyers  down  dis  way.  Come,  me  showee  you," 
and  the  Celestial  started  off  once  more,  with  the 
young  lieutenant  following.  It  was  a  narrow  street, 
and  soon  they  found  themselves  in  a  perfect  jam  of 
people,  all  crowding  forward  with  bundles,  bags,  and 
anything  which  it  was  convenient  to  carry.  Groans, 
yells,  and  curses  sounded  on  all  sides,  and  many 
were  thrown  down  to  be  trampled  under  foot. 

"  Down  with  the  Americans  !  "  was  the  call  which 
reached  Ben's  ears.  "  Kill  them  both  !  "  The  words 
were  spoken  in  Spanish,  but  the  young  lieutenant 
understood  enough  to  make  him  look  in  the  direc- 
tion. He  beheld  two  regulars  penned  in  against  the 
side  of  a  building  and  surrounded  by  a  dozen  or 
more  Filipinos  of  the  lowest  caste,  each  armed  with 


"  In  a  moment  the  three  Americans  were  in  a  bunch." — Page  279. 


BTJENING    OF   THE   TONDO   QTJAETER  279 

a  bolo.  The  guns  of  the  soldiers  were  probably 
empty,  for  they  were  trying  to  use  their  weapons 
as  clubs. 

The  sight  made  Ben's  heart  jump.  The  soldiers 
were  strangers,  but  they  were  Uncle  Sam's  boys,  and 
that  was  enough.  "  Clear  the  way  here,  or  I  will 
shoot !  "  he  cried,  and  as  one  of  the  natives  raised 
his  long  knife  to  stab  the  soldier  nearest  to  him,  Ben 
fired  and  hit  him  in  the  arm. 

"  Hurrah,  Dick,  here  are  reinforcements !  "  ex- 
claimed the  soldier,  joyfully.  "Give  it  to  'em 
hot !  "  And  as  the  natives  turned  to  see  who  had 
fired  on  them,  the  pair  swung  around  with  their 
Remington  rifles  and  laid  two  of  them  flat.  In  a 
moment  more  the  three  Americans  were  in  a  bunch, 
fighting  back  to  back.  Ben  fired  a  second  and  a 
third  time,  and  becoming  scared  the  natives  ran  on, 
to  join  the  crowd  which  had  surged  ahead. 

"  You  came  in  the  nick  of  time,  lieutenant," 
gasped  one  of  the  regulars,  as  both  reloaded  with 
all  possible  rapidity.  "  I  was  afraid  our  last  hour 
had  come." 

"  We  had  better  be  getting  back  to  Binondo,"  put 
in  the  other.     "  Will  you  go  along,  lieutenant  ?  " 

"  You  are  going  to  rejoin  your  company  ?  " 


280  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Yes,  if  we  can  find  it.  I  think  the  boys  re- 
treated to  the  Calle  Iris,  as  they  call  it." 

"Then  I'll  go  with  you.  We  can  do  nothing 
by  remaining  here,  and  the  fire  is  creeping  this 
way  as  fast  as  the  breeze  can  bring  it." 

"I  think  I  know  another  side  street  that  is  not 
crowded,"  continued  one  of  the  soldiers.  "It  was 
filled  up  with  Chinamen,  but  they  cleared  out  an 
hour  ago.     This  way." 

He  ran  off  in  advance  to  a  cross-lane  now  thick 
with  flying  sparks.  The  air  was  dry  and  scorching, 
and  Ben  breathed  once  more  with  difficulty.  But 
soon  they  turned  a  corner  and  got  in  the  shelter  of 
a  row  of  buildings  which  as  yet  remained  untouched. 

The  Calle  Iris  was  two  squares  off,  and  in  the 
distance  they  could  see  a  company  of  American 
soldiers  drawn  up  in  skirmish  line  to  keep  the 
native  incendiaries  and  rebels  from  getting  into 
the  Binondo  and  other  districts  of  Manila.  In 
front  of  the  soldiers  was  a  howling  mob  of  Fili- 
pinos, including  many  women  and  children.  The 
latter  were  allowed  to  pass  the  line,  but  the  men 
were  being  held  back  until  each  could  be  searched, 
that  his  weapons  and  articles  for  making  fire  might 
be  taken  from  him. 


BURNING  OF  THE  TONDO  QUARTER     281 

As  Ben  advanced  to  the  line,  lie  saw  an  Ameri- 
can in  the  crowd.  The  man  had  just  been  allowed 
to  pass  the  first  line  of  infantry,  but  the  young 
lieutenant  got  a  good  look  at  his  face.  The  fellow 
was  Braxton  Bogg,  and  no  sooner  had  Ben  made 
the  discovery  than  the  cashier  disappeared  from 
view. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

A  LETTER   FROM   JOB   DOWLING 

"  If  only  I  can  catch  that  man  ! " 

Such  was  Ben's  thought  as  the  missing  cashier 
of  the  Hearthstone  Savings  Institution  disappeared 
from  view.  He  felt  certain  that  if  once  he  could 
lay  hands  on  the  rascal,  the  missing  bank  funds, 
or  a  large  portion  of  them,  could  be  recovered,  in 
which  case  the  Russell  inheritance  would  come 
back  to  him  and  his  brothers. 

But  Bogg  was  gone,  and  though  Ben  got  through 
the  military  lines  with  all  possible  swiftness  and 
made  a  long  hunt,  nothing  more  was  to  be  seen 
of  the  fellow. 

"  Ben !  "  It  was  a  cry  from  across  one  of  the 
Binondo  streets,  and,  looking  up,  the  young  lieu- 
tenant saw  Larry  in  company  with  Jack  Biddle 
and  several  other  sailors.  He  immediately  joined 
the  party. 

"We've  been  a-hunting  for  you,"  said  Biddle. 
282 


A   LETTER   FROM  JOB   DOWLING  283 

"I  told  Larry  how  you  slipped  from  me  in  the 
crowd  at  the  dock." 

"I  went  after  a  man  I  was  anxious  to  catch," 
replied  Ben.  "  Who  do  you  suppose  it  was, 
Larry?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  can't  guess,"  returned  the  young 
sailor. 

"Braxton  Bogg." 

"  The  villain  who  took  the  bank  money  ?  " 

"Exactly."  And  in  a  few  hurried  words  Ben 
told  his  story,  to  which  Larry  listened  with  keen 
interest.  "If  only  we  could  lay  hands  on  him," 
he  concluded. 

"You  haven't  any  idea  where  he  went  to?" 

"Not  the  slightest.  But  he  is  in  Manila,  and 
we  ought  to  be  able  to  catch  him  before  he  has 
a  chance  to  get  out." 

"Now  he  knows  he  is  discovered,  he'll  keep  out 
of  sight  or  change  his  appearance.  But  we  can 
notify  the  authorities,  if  this  fire  doesn't  burn  down 
the  whole  town,"  continued  the  young  sailor. 

"  I'll  notify  the  authorities  as  soon  as  there  is 
a  chance,  Larry.  There  is  no  use  of  trying  to  do 
anything  now." 

Ben  returned   to   the    Calle   Iris,  and   with  him 


284  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

went  Larry  and  his  friends.  In  one  or  two  places, 
the  fire  had  now  gained  the  edge  of  the  broad 
highway,  and  it  looked  as  if  it  would  leap  over 
into  the  Binondo  quarters.  The  English  and  Ger- 
man volunteer  fire  companies  were  hard  at  work, 
and  Ben  and  the  others  joined  them  with  a  will, 
carrying  hose  and  the  like  with  the  manner  of  old 
veterans.  It  was  hard,  dirty  work,  but  nobody 
minded  it,  although  Ben's  back  had  to  pay  for 
it  the  next  day,  when  he  found  that  he  could 
scarcely  walk. 

It  was  not  until  the  first  streak  of  dawn  that  the 
fire  began  to  subside.  In  the  meanwhile  all  Manila 
had  been  thoroughly  policed  by  the  militia ;  and 
as  day  advanced,  the  excitement  simmered  down. 
But  the  outlying  portions  of  the  Tondo  quar- 
ter were  alive  with  insurgents  who,  during  the 
conflagration,  had  crawled  into  the  city  through 
the  swamp  grass  growing  on  the  edge  of  the  bay. 
It  was  felt  that  these  rebels  must  be  cleared  out, 
and  a  battalion  of  Minnesota  volunteers,  another 
of  Oregon  volunteers,  and  one  from  the  Twenty- 
third  regular  Infantry,  started  forth  to  do  the  work. 

It  was  a  running  fight  for  nearly  a  whole  day, 
first  through  the  burnt  and  blackened  streets  of  the 


A   LETTER   FROM  JOB   DOWLING  285 

Tondo  district,  then  along  the  dikes  and  swamps 
along  the  north  shore.  At  several  places  the  Fili- 
pinos tried  to  make  a  stand,  but  could  hold  out  for 
a  short  while  only,  and  at  last  they  took  to  the 
water  and  mud,  making  for  a  small  peninsula  that 
connects  with  the  mainland  at  Malabon.  The  mud 
was  exceedingly  pasty,  and  a  number  got  stuck  and 
were  either  made  prisoners,  or  were  shot  down  by 
the  gunboat  Callao,  cruising  close  at  hand.  Every- 
thing in  the  shape  of  a  hut  or  house  was  burned, 
and  the  non-combatants  were  driven  back  into  the 
city  proper. 

As  soon  as  quietness  was  restored  in  Manila,  Ben 
and  Larry  went  around  to  the  various  police  head- 
quarters and  left  word  concerning  Braxton  Bogg. 
Those  in  authority  made  a  note  of  the  case,  and 
promised  to  do  what  they  could  toward  capturing 
the  absconder. 

"  We  will  watch  the  ships  that  go  out,"  said  the 
official  having  authority  at  the  docks.  "  Then  if  he 
leaves  Manila  at  all,  he  will  have  to  go  into  the 
rebel  lines,  and  it's  not  likely  that  he  will  care  to  do 
that." 

"  Not  unless  he  joins  them,"  answered  Ben. 
"He's  rascal  enough  for  anything,  in  my  opinion." 


286  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Larry  had  now  to  return  to  his  ship,  and  after  a 
warm  handshake  the  brothers  separated.  "I  want 
to  see  active  service,"  said  the  young  sailor.  "If 
the  Olympia  doesn't  do  something  soon,  I'm  going  to 
try  to  get  a  temporary  transfer  to  one  of  the  other 
warships." 

At  noon  precisely  Ben  presented  himself  at  Major- 
General  Otis's  headquarters.  He  found  the  military 
governor  more  busy  than  ever,  but  the  document  for 
which  he  had  come  was  ready  for  him,  and  inside  of 
half  an  hour  the  young  lieutenant  was  again  on  his 
way  to  the  front,  this  time  astride  of  the  horse  his 
commander  had  told  him  he  might  bring  along. 

The  ride  was  a  pleasant  one,  full  of  scenes  of  in- 
terest, for  the  natives  were  now  coming  back  to 
their  abandoned  homes  in  that  neighborhood,  feeling 
that  so  long  as  the  Americans  held  Caloocan  and 
Manila  they  were  safe,  providing  they  did  not  take 
up  arms  against  the  United  States.  Children  were 
plentiful,  and  large  crowds  of  them  gathered  around 
wherever  the  soldiers  were  at  work,  picking  up  all 
articles  cast  aside  and  lugging  them  home.  The 
majority  of  the  natives  were  women,  the  men  being 
elsewhere  — probably  in  the  ranks  of  the  insurgents. 

Having  delivered  the  document  entrusted  to  him, 


A   LETTER   FROM   JOB   DOWLING  287 

Ben  returned  to  his  position  as  acting  first  lieuten- 
ant of  Company  D.  All  the  men  were  glad  to  see 
him,  and  the  story  of  the  Tondo  conflagration  had 
to  be  told  over  and  over  again.  The  young  officer 
was  so  stiff  he  could  scarcely  rise  after  sitting,  and 
he  was  glad  enough  that  the  run  of  events  gave  him 
a  week  and  more  of  nearly  perfect  rest. 

The  attempt  to  loot  and  burn  Manila  having 
failed,  the  Filipinos  were  non-plussed  concerning 
the  next  movement  to  make.  They  had  experi- 
enced a  rude  awakening  in  their  contests  with  the 
American  troops.  While  fighting  the  Spaniards 
they  had  been  used  to  night  skirmishes  amounting 
to  little ;  the  bold,  forward  advances  of  the  Ameri- 
cans nearly  paralyzed  them.  They  sought  delay 
by  negotiations,  and  in  the  meantime  tried  to 
strengthen  their  position  at  Malabon  and  at  Polo, 
feeling  that  under  no  circumstances  must  the 
Americans  be  allowed  to  approach  Malolos,  their 
capital. 

For  some  weeks  after  the  taking  of  Caloocan  the 
operations  on  both  sides  were  of  a  minor  character. 
Here  and  there  a  band  of  insurgents  would  try  to 
advance,  only  to  be  driven  back  further  than  ever 
into  the    jungles   and    mountains.       The    greatest 


288  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

fighting  was  along  the  Pasig  River,  and  to  the 
southeast,  in  the  vicinity  of  Laguna  de  Bay.  On 
March  the  15th,  a  portion  of  General  Wheaton's 
command  came  along  the  river,  defeated  the  rebels, 
and  took  the  village  of  Pasig,  while  the  Fourth  Reg- 
ular Cavalry,  aided  by  some  volunteers,  captured  the 
village  of  Pateros,  on  the  shore  of  the  bay  just 
named.  The  fighting  continued  day  after  day  with 
varying  success,  the  Americans  steadily  advancing 
toward  the  water  front. 

For  many  months  some  of  the  Filipinos  had  been 
in  favor  of  submitting  to  American  control.  But 
General  Aguinaldo  would  not  hear  of  it,  and  when 
General  Lagarda,  a  Spaniard,  went  to  him  and  sug- 
gested it,  Aguinaldo  ordered  him  beheaded,  and  the 
order  was  promptly  executed.  But  a  peace  commis- 
sion from  the  United  States  had  arrived  at  Manila, 
and  these  gentlemen  succeeded  in  conferring  with 
native  leaders  who  were  less  headstrong.  Yet  the 
conferences  at  that  time  were  of  little  practical 
value,  so  far  as  they  went  to  stop  the  fighting.  Ab- 
solute independence  was  what  the  Filipinos  wanted, 
and  they  said  that  they  would  take  nothing  less. 

"  This  is  going  to  be  a  long-drawn  campaign," 
remarked  Gilbert  to  Ben  one  day,  as  both  took  it 


A  LETTER   FROM  JOB   DOWLING  289 

easy  under  the  shade  of  a  large  plantain.  "  If  we 
could  only  get  these  rebels  into  a  solid  fight  once, 
we  might  finish  them.  But  as  soon  as  they  get  bit- 
ten, they  run,  and  we  can't  do  much  with  them  in 
the  mountains  and  the  jungle." 

"  I  think  they  are  playing  a  waiting  game,  Gil- 
bert. The  report  from  home  is  that  they  are 
trying  to  stir  up  Congress  to  grant  them  indepen- 
dence. Take  it  all  in  all,  they  are  so  rattled  they 
don't  know  what  to  do." 

"  They  may  be  waiting  for  the  rainy  season.  We 
can't  do  much  when  it  once  starts  in  to  pour." 

"  Perhaps  we  can,  —  by  cutting  off  their  supplies. 
Many  an  army  has  been  starved  into  a  surrender." 

"  Well,  I  wish  something  would  happen.  I  hate 
this  lying  around  in  the  heat.  It  takes  all  the  nerve 
out  of  a  fellow." 

"  They  tell  me  the  natives  are  leaving  Malabon. 
The  gunboats  worry  them  constantly.  I  think 
they  expect  to  make  a  grand  stand  at  Malolos." 

"It  would  be  natural,  as  that  is  their  capital. 
By  the  way,  have  you  heard  anything  further  of 
Braxton  Bogg  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word.  If  he  is  in  Manila,  he  is  keeping 
very  quiet." 


290  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Perhaps  he  has  sailed  away." 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  could  get  on  a  ship  without 
being  detected.  The  shore  watch  is  a  very  strict 
one,  you  know,  and  everybody  coming  and  going 
has  to  give  a  full  account  of  himself.  If  we  — 
What's  that  cry  ?  " 

"  Mail !  mail  !  "  came  the  call,  and  both  leaped 
up,  to  run  to  the  tent  where  a  bagful  of  papers 
and  letters  was  being  distributed.  Gilbert  had  a 
bundle  of  newspapers  and  one  letter  from  a  dis- 
tant  relative,  and  there  were  two  letters  for  Ben. 

"From  Walter  and  Uncle  Job,"  murmured  the 
young  lieutenant,  as  he  surveyed  the  envelopes. 
"I'll  find  out  what  Walter  is  doing  first,"  and  he 
slit  open  the  communication. 

"I  am  on  the  deep  blue  sea  once  more,"  wrote 
his  brother.  "  But  not  for  battle  this  time,  but  for 
glory.  The  Atlantic  Squadron  is  bound  southward, 
to  visit  Jamaica  and  I  don't  know  how  many  other 
ports.     We  expect  gay  times,  I  can  tell  you  that. 

"I  suppose  you  and  Larry  are  hard  at  it.  I 
read  the  newspapers  with  interest,  and  when  I 
heard  how  you  had  assisted  in  fighting  the  Filipi- 
nos when  they  attacked  Manila,  I  just  had  to  dance 


A   LETTER   FROM  JOB   DOWLLNG  291 

a  jig  for  joy.  That's  right,  Ben,  old  boy,  keep  it 
up,  and  make  those  Tagals  good  United  States 
citizens." 

There  was  much  more,  in  the  same  strain,  and 
before  the  young  lieutenant  had  finished  reading 
he  burst  out  laughing.  "That's  Walter  all  over," 
he  murmured.  "  I  do  hope  he  has  a  jolly  time, 
for  he  deserves  it.  Now  to  see  what  Uncle  Job 
has  to  say."  And  he  began  with  difficulty  on 
the  second  communication,  for  Job  Dowling  wrote 
a  heavy,  twisted  hand,  exceedingly  difficult  to 
decipher. 

"I  reckon  you  are  having  lots  of  trouble  with 
them  natives,  Ben,"  wrote  the  old  man,  after  telling 
that  he  was  well.  "But  I  can  tell  you  that  I  am 
having  my  troubles,  too.  That  bank  busting  up, 
left  me  with  hardly  any  cash,  and  mortgages  are 
mighty  hard  to  raise  these  times  —  had  to  pay  full 
six  per  cent,  instead  of  five,  as  I  had  calculated  on, 
and  gave  a  bonus  besides.  The  bank  thinks  to  pay 
the  depositors  ten  per  cent  in  about  six  or  eight 
months.  That  is  better  than  nothing,  of  course, 
but  I  won't  be  well  off,  and  you  and  your  brothers 
won't  be,  neither.     There  is  some  talk  of  going  to 


292  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

the  grand  jury  and  having  the  directors  of  the  con- 
cern indicted,  but  that  won't  bring  back  the  cash. 
"  The  detectives  tracked  Braxton  Bogg  to  San 
Francisco,  but  there  they  lost  him,  and,  although 
they  watched  all  the  railroad  depots  and  steamship 
lines,  they  couldn't  track  him  any  more.  The 
bank  president  has  offered  a  thousand  dollars  out 
of  his  own  pocket  for  Bogg's  arrest ;  but  I  don't 
believe  that  anybody  will  ever  earn  the  reward  — 
Braxton  Bogg  is  too  slick  for  them." 


CHAPTER   XXX 

FIGHTING   AT  POLO   AND   NOVALICHES 

"I'd  like  to  earn  that  thousand  dollars,"  said 
Ben  to  Gilbert,  after  the  two  had  exchanged  news. 

"If  I  were  you,  Ben,  I'd  let  the  authorities  in 
Manila  know  about  that  reward.  It  may  put  them 
on  their  mettle  to  catch  the  cashier." 

"  That's  so ;  I'll  do  it  at  once  ! "  cried  the  young 
lieutenant,  and  a  note  to  the  provost-marshal  was 
penned  on  the  spot  and  sent  into  the  city  at  the 
first  opportunity. 

A  general  reorganization  of  the  regular  and  vol- 
unteer forces  in  the  island  was  in  progress,  under 
the  directions  of  General  Lawton,  who  had  arrived 
shortly  before,  with  reinforcements.  The  rainy 
season  was  not  far  off,  and  it  was  realized  that  if 
the  Americans  wanted  to  gain  more  ground,  a 
vigorous  forward  movement  must  be  instituted 
without  further  delay. 

"  We  strike  tents  to-day  i ;1  said  Captain  Larch- 
293 


294  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

more  to  Ben,  on  the  morning  of  March  the  twenty- 
fourth.  "  I  imagine  it  will  be  some  time  before 
we  put  them  up  again." 

"The  news  just  suits  me,"  answered  the  acting 
first  lieutenant,  and  he  set  about  giving  necessary 
orders.  Soon  one  after  another  of  the  whitish- 
brown  shelters  came  down,  to  be  rolled  up  and 
tucked  away  in  one  of  the  wagons  of  the  baggage- 
train. 

"  Sure,  an'  I'm  glad  we  don't  have  to  carry  thim," 
observed  Dan  Casey.  "  That  job  nearly  broke  me 
back  in  Cuby." 

From  a  distance  came  a  steady  firing,  showing 
that  what  few  of  the  rebels  were  left  in  Mala- 
bon  and  other  points  along  the  coast  were  being 
driven  out.  The  Filipinos  were  now  concentrated 
at  Polo,  with  a  portion  of  their  troops  at  Novaliches, 
a  town  a  little  farther  eastward. 

By  noon  Ben's  regiment  was  ready  to  advance, 
but  the  orders  did  not  come.  "  Maype  ve  ton't  do 
noddings  anyhow,"  grumbled  Stummer.  "  Oh,  put 
I  vos  sick  of  vaitin'  so  long !  " 

Early  the  following  morning,  however,  the 
drums  rattled  and  the  bugles  sounded  the  com- 
mand,   "  Forward ! "      A    cheer    went    up,    which 


FIGHTING   AT  POLO   AND   NOVALICHES         295 

speedily  grew  into  a  yell,  and  the  men  who  had 
lain  in  the  intrenchments  so  long  leaped  up  with 
alacrity.  "  On  to  Polo  !  Come  ahead  !  "  was  the 
cry,  and  soon  regiment  after  regiment  was  in 
motion,  until  the  various  roads,  the  open  plains, 
and  the  jungle  itself  seemed  to  be  alive  with  uni- 
forms and  rifles.  All  were  full  of  hope,  and  the 
sight  was  a  most  inspiring  one. 

The  general  plan  of  battle  was  for  a  portion  of 
the  American  troops  to  swing  toward  Novaliches 
on  the  right,  and  then  to  try  to  strike  north  of 
Polo,  thus  hemming  the  rebels  in  and  cutting  them 
off  from  a  retreat  to  Malolos.  At  the  same  time 
another  portion  of  our  army  was  to  make  a  dem- 
onstration near  the  Pasig  River,  thus  preventing 
the  Filipinos  in  the  north  from  obtaining  reinforce- 
ments from  the  east  and  southeast. 

The  advance  developed  a  hot  fire  at  once,  show- 
ing that  the  rebels  were  on  the  alert,  and  the  battle 
had  not  waged  fifteen  minutes  before  the  Chinese 
litter-carriers,  hired  for  that  purpose,  were  hurry- 
ing to  the  rear  with  the  dead  and  the  dying.  In 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Caloocan  the  fighting 
was  terrific,  many  of  the  insurgents  rushing  for- 
ward in  the  face  of  a  hot  fire,  in  a  vain  attempt  to 


296  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

wrench  the  American  soldiers'  weapons  from  their 
grasp. 

As  the  regiment  to  which  Ben's  company  be- 
longed had  to  advance  across  an  open  field,  a  skir- 
mish formation  was  employed.  At  first  every  fifth 
man  advanced  five  yards,  then,  as  the  first  line 
made  another  advance,  the  second  man  of  every 
five  came  up,  and  so  on,  until  the  whole  regiment 
was  spread  out  like  the  trees  in  a  newly  planted 
orchard.  The  men  would  crouch  and  run,  and 
then  lie  flat,  taking  shelter  behind  anything  which 
was  handy.  And  all  this  while  there  was  a  steady 
crack !  crack !  as  the  men  fired  at  will  on  the 
enemy,  who  could  be  seen  over  the  top  of  a  slight 
rise  of  ground. 

"  We'll  have  their  first  trench  soon,  boys ! " 
shouted  Captain  Larchmore.  "  Come  on  !  "  And  he 
waved  his  sword  for  another  advance.  Soon  they 
were  going  up  the  rise,  in  the  face  of  a  storm  of 
bullets  which  laid  many  a  poor  soldier  low.  The 
trench  was  gained,  when  Captain  Larchmore  was 
seen  to  throw  up  his  arms  and  fall  headlong.  In- 
stantly Ben  ran  to  his  superior's  side  and  bent  over 
him. 

"Captain,  are   you   seriously  hurt?     Where   did 


"  Stand  firm,  boys ! "  he  shouted.  —  Page  297. 


FIGHTING  AT  POLO   AND   NOVALICHES         297 

the  bullet  hit  you?  "  he  asked.  But  no  reply  came 
back,  and,  turning  the  body  over,  he  saw  that  his 
commander  had  been  struck  in  the  temple  and  was 
stone  dead. 

The  revelation  came  as  a  great  shock,  and  for  a 
moment  the  young  volunteer  was  speechless.  He 
turned  to  another  soldier,  the  first  sergeant,  who 
had  been  acting  as  second  lieutenant.  "  Dead,"  he 
muttered  hoarsely. 

"Dead?"  ejaculated  the  sergeant.  "You  are 
certain?"  He  knelt  down.  "You're  right.  Shall 
I  tell  the  major?" 

"Yes,  but  hurry  up,  for  we  — " 

"  The  rebels  are  coming !  "  came  from  in  front 
of  the  intrenchment.  "  They  are  down  on  us  for 
keeps  this  time ! "  And  then  the  line  began  to 
waver  as  if  some  contemplated  a  retreat. 

Ben's  blood  went  surging  through  his  veins  at 
breakneck  speed.  His  captain  was  dead  —  the  com- 
pany was  without  a  commander — no,  he  was  now  the 
commander.     He  leaped  forward,  sword  in  hand. 

"  Stand  firm,  boys  !  "  he  shouted.  "  Don't  give 
them  an  inch !  See,  the  rest  of  the  regiment  is 
going  ahead.  Come  on  ! "  And  he  jumped  to 
the  front,  waving  his  sword  on  high. 


2&8  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  Hurrah  for  Lieutenant  Russell !  "  came  from 
the  ranks.     "  All  right,  we're  coming  !  " 

"  Dis  is  vot  I  like !  "  came  in  Stummer's  voice. 
"  Down  you  go,  you  repel !  "  And  he  pulled  trigger 
point  blank  at  an  insurgent  who  was  about  to  fire 
on  him.  Both  missed  their  mark,  and  on  the  in- 
stant a  fierce  hand  to  hand  struggle  ensued.  But 
the  German  volunteer  got  the  better  of  it,  and 
pressed  on,  leaving  the  native  behind  with  a  broken 
wrist. 

The  battle  was  now  on  in  all  of  its  fierceness, 
the  rebels  being  driven  wild  by  the  loss  of  their 
first  intrenchments.  As  the  Americans  pressed 
on,  one  of  the  Filipinos,  who  were  fighting  Company 
B,  rushed  to  a  hollow  with  a  lighted  torch  in  his 
hand.     Gilbert  saw  the  fellow  and  ran  after  him. 

"  Hold  on  there  !  What  are  you  up  to  ? "  de- 
manded the  Southerner. 

"Bad  Americanos!"  came  back  the  answer. 
«  They  shall  die  !  " 

"  Take  that  for  your  trickery  !  "  was  Gilbert's 
return,  and  he  fired.  At  the  same  time  four  other 
soldiers  fired  on  the  native,  and  he  went  down 
with  his  torch  under  him.  When  the  party  of 
five  looked  into  a  nearby  hole  in  the  ground  they 


FIGHTING   AT   POLO   AND   NOVALICHES         299 

found  a  train  of  powder  leading  to  more  powder 
and  a  bundle  of  dynamite  sticks.  The  rascal  had 
calculated  to  blow  up  all  the  American  soldiers 
within  a  hundred  feet  of  his  mine. 

Ben  had  his  hands  full  in  keeping  his  company- 
together,  for  the  ground  was  now  much  broken 
and  they  were  inclined  to  split  to  the  right  and 
the  left.  But  Sergeant  Gilmore,  acting  as  first 
lieutenant,  helped  him  greatly,  and  Company  D 
forced  its  way  along  to  the  next  intrenchment, 
in  advance  of  all  of  the  rest  of  the  regiment. 
But  now  the  hand  to  hand  encounter  was  renewed, 
and  in  a  trice  Ben  found  himself  face  to  face  with 
a  native  captain,  a  heavy-set  fellow,  of  pure  Tagal 
blood,  who  was  swinging  a  sword  that  was  nearly 
twice  as  heavy  as  his  own. 

There  was  no  time  for  words,  and  the  Tagal 
sprang  upon  Ben  with  the  evident  intention  of 
killing  him  at  a  blow.  Around  came  the  shining 
blade,  to  hit  against  the  young  lieutenant's  with 
such  force  that  the  sparks  flew  in  all  directions. 

Ben  was  almost  thrown  off  his  feet  by  the  weight 
of  the  onslaught,  but  he  recovered  as  quickly  as 
did  the  Filipino  and  made  a  thrust  forward,  which 
his  opponent  parried.     Then  began  a  regular  set-to, 


300  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

the  swords  click-clacking  with  the  rapidity  of  a 
telegraph  sounder. 

"  Aha ! "  hissed  the  Filipino,  and  by  a  rapid 
lunge  he  managed  to  prick  Ben  in  the  side.  But 
the  young  lieutenant  leaped  back  in  time  to  avoid 
serious  injury,  and  returned  the  thrust  with  inter- 
est, inflicting  a  deep  wound  in  the  shoulder. 
Then  the  tide  of  battle  separated  the  pair;  and 
that  was  the  last  Ben  ever  saw  of  his  opponent. 

Beyond  the  second  line  of  intrenchments  was  a 
jungle,  and  the  Tagals  now  retreated  into  this, 
firing  as  they  went.  They  fully  expected  that  the 
Americans  would  stop  the  pursuit  here,  it  being 
well  along  in  the  afternoon;  but  they  were  mis- 
taken, and  before  they  could  recover  from  their 
surprise  Uncle  Sam's  troops  were  on  them,  keep- 
ing so  close  that  anything  in  the  way  of  an  am- 
bush was  out  of  the  question.  The  jungle  led 
down  hill,  to  a  small  stream,  and  away  went  the  na- 
tives pell-mell,  one  badly  disorganized  company  after 
another.  As  the  stream  was  shallow,  they  forded 
it  without  difficulty  and  came  to  a  halt  at  some 
old  intrenchments  thrown  up  during  their  rebel- 
lion against  Spain. 

The  day  had  been  hot,  the  men  had  had  little 


FIGHTING  AT  POLO  AND  NOVALICHES         301 

or  nothing  to  eat  and  drink,  and  everybody  was 
about  ready  to  "  cave  in,"  as  Gilbert  expressed  it. 
Under  the  circumstances  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  encamp  for  the  night  in  the  brush  overlooking 
the  stream.  Accordingly  a  strong  picket  line  was 
thrown  out,  and  in  addition  the  sharpshooters  went 
to  the  front,  to  guard  against  Filipino  treachery. 
In  the  gathering  darkness  the  soldiers  threw  them- 
selves on  the  earth  and  ate  and  drank  in  silence, 
while  the  surgeons  of  the  various  regiments  went 
around,  looking  for  the  wounded  and  dying,  and 
calling  out  softly,  that  nobody  needing  their  aid 
might  be  missed.  It  was  after  ten  o'clock  ere  the 
wagon  train  came  up,  to  find  most  of  the  men 
sleeping  soundly. 

At  daybreak  fresh  ammunition  was  served  out 
and  a  hurried  breakfast  was  had.  It  was  Sunday, 
and  the  chaplain  of  the  regiment  took  the  occa- 
sion to  go  among  the  men  and  remind  them  that 
this  might  be  their  last  day  upon  earth,  and  begged 
of  them  to  be  prepared  should  grim  Death  sud- 
denly overtake  them.  A  brief  prayer  followed, 
and  a  loud  amen  at  the  conclusion  showed  how 
those  who  had  heard  had  taken  the  words  to 
heart.      "I  can  tell  you,  those  times  made  a  man 


302  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

think  of  his  future  state,"  was  what  Ben  said 
afterward. 

The  nature  of  the  ground  covered  had  prevented 
a  position  north  of  Polo  being  gained,  but  the 
rebels  were  afraid  of  being  cut  off,  and  now  began 
a  gradual  movement  toward  Malolos,  one  wing 
leaving  Novaliches  and  the  other  abandoning 
Malabon  and  the  fishing  villages  immediately- 
above  it.  This  brought  all  close  to  the  Polo  ter- 
ritory, an  uncertain  piece  of  ground,  hilly,  boggy, 
covered  with  rocks  and  jungle,  and  with  many 
small  streams,  the  bridges  of  which  had  been 
either  torn  away  or  burnt.  And  what  was  to  the 
Americans'  disadvantage,  the  whole  territory .  was 
new  ground  to  them,  while  the  natives  knew  every 
foot  they  were  covering. 

Scarcely  had  the  chaplain  of  the  regiment  finished 
when  the  advance  was  sounded.  A  detail  had 
examined  the  stream  during  the  darkest  hours  of 
the  night  and  found  several  excellent  fording 
places,  and  company  after  company  crossed  with 
a  wetting  only  to  the  knees.  At  this  time  the 
rebels  opened  up  only  a  scattering  fire. 

"  They  are  retreating,"  said  Ben,  and  he  was 
right.       The     rebel     general-in-chief,    Luna,    had 


FIGHTING   AT   POLO   AND   NOVALICHES         303 

ordered  that  division  of  his  army  to  wheel  in 
toward  Polo,  to  reenforce  the  troops  fighting 
some  of  General  Wheaton's  men.  Only  a  few  of 
the  rebels  were  met  with,  and  by  a  little  strategy 
these  were  surrounded,  and  twenty-nine  of  them 
were  made  prisoners,  with  the  loss  of  only  one 
man  wounded. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

"  ON  TO   MALOLOS ! " 

The  fighting  all  through  Sunday  was  heavy  but 
scattering,  the  natives  concentrating  first  at  one 
stronghold  and  then  another.  At  Novaliches  the 
town  was  burnt  by  both  Americans  and  Filipinos, 
and  the  many  huts  and  houses  along  the  side  roads 
were  treated  in  the  same  fashion.  At  Polo  the 
Tagal  sharpshooters  gathered  at  a  church  and  in 
the  upper  windows  of  two  houses,  and  the  death 
list  of  the  Americans  was  swelled  considerably  be- 
fore they  were  discovered.  Several  of  the  sharp- 
shooters were  captured,  and  it  was  reported  that 
they  had  been  using  poisoned  bullets,  but  this  was 
quickly  proved  to  be  untrue.  While  the  report 
was  circulating,  however,  the  prisoners  were  in  great 
danger  of  being  lynched,  for  poisoned  bullets  are 
against  the  rules  of  modern  warfare. 

When  Ben's  company  reached  Polo,  along  with 
the  rest  of  the  regiment,  the  Filipinos  were  taking 

304 


"  ON  TO  MALOLOS  !  "  305 

their  last  stand  in  the  rear  of  a  plantation,  where 
several  long,  low  buildings  offered  a  fair  protection. 
The  first  battalion  was  sent  forward  to  "clean  out 
that  nest,"  as  the  command  came,  and  went  forward 
on  the  double-quick.  But  the  Filipinos  had  had 
enough  of  the  contest  for  the  time  being,  and  as 
the  four  companies  came  closer,  they  ran  off  with 
a  yell,  to  join  the  larger  portion  of  their  army, 
which  was  now  fleeing  for  Marilao,  a  village  lying 
on  the  road  to  Malolos  and  but  a  short  distance 
beyond  Polo. 

"  On  to  Malolos  ! "  was  the  cry  which  was  taken  up 
by  the  Americans.  "  Let  us  push  on  straight  ahead 
to  the  rebel  capital ! "  The  cry  swept  throughout 
the  whole  army,  inspiring  the  men,  and  dusty,  hot, 
and  worn  out  as  they  were,  they  surged  forward, 
until  in  the  evening  MacArthur's  troops  rested  be- 
tween Marilao  and  Meicauayan,  a  small  settlement 
two  miles  north  of  Polo.  It  was  found  that  the 
whole  of  the  roads  and  the  open  fields  were  in- 
trenched, but  the  rebels  had  been  driven  from  one 
shelter  to  the  next,  and  were  now  almost  out  of  sight. 

The  bridges  having  been  destroyed,  many  of  the 
baggage  wagons  could  not  get  through,  and  pro- 
visions were  slow  in  arriving.     The   rebel  general, 


306  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

Luna,  now  issued  an  order  that  all  places  that  were 
abandoned  should  be  burned,  and  consequently  the 
whole  countryside  was  bright  with  flames,  which 
in  some  instances  communicated  with  the  jungle, 
producing  heavy  forest  fires,  and  still  further  im- 
peding the  advance  of  the  Americans.  Yet  the 
bridges  were  mended,  the  baggage  trains  came 
through  as  best  they  could,  along  with  the  artil- 
lery, and  the  troops  went  on  through  the  heat, 
dust,  and  smoke,  suffering  as  only  those  can  suffer 
who  are  not  used  to  a  tropical  climate.  Hundreds 
fell  by  the  way,  overcome  either  by  the  sun  or  by 
tropical  complaints,  and  soon  the  hospitals  at  Manila 
and  elsewhere  filled  to  overflowing. 

"  We  will  wear  them  out,"  General  Aguinaldo  is 
reported  to  have  said  grimly.  "We  can  stand  it  if 
they  cannot.  Only  let  us  keep  them  at  it  until  the 
wet  season  arrives."  But  as  the  Americans  came 
closer  to  Malolos,  he  packed  up  his  things  and  pre- 
pared to  flee  at  a  moment's  notice. 

"  This  campaign  beats  anything  I  ever  dreamed 
of,"  said  Gilbert.  "  Why,  my  canteen  is  empty  all 
the  time,  and  even  ditch  water  tastes  good  when  a 
fellow's  mouth  is  full  of  cotton.  And  yet  the  doc- 
tors tell  us  to  drink  as  little  as  we  can." 


"  ON   TO   MALOLOS  !  "  307 

"  I  allow  myself  to  go  dry  as  much  as  possible," 
answered  Ben.  "  I  understand  that  is  what  the  Brit- 
ish soldiers  in  India  do.  They  tell  me  that  the 
natives  here  drink  little  or  nothing." 

"  And  I  guess  they  live  on  nothing,  too,"  growled 
the  sergeant  of  Company  B.  "  So  far  I  haven't 
picked  up  a  mouthful  worth  eating." 

At  this  Ben  laughed  outright.  "You  shall  dine 
with  me  to-night,  Gilbert,"  he  said.  "  My  boys 
brought  me  a  chicken  just  now,  —  Stummer  and 
Casey  raked  up  half  a  dozen,  —  and  the  cooks  have 
promised  me  some  real  banana  flour  biscuits.  Now 
don't  tell  the  others,  or  they  may  get  jealous." 

Gilbert  promised  to  remain  silent,  and  that  night 
Ben  and  his  chum  ate  the  best  meal  they  had  tasted 
for  six  weeks.  But  the  young  Southerner  had  been 
right ;  the  natives  had  cleaned  out  almost  everything 
in  sight. 

And  yet  the  nights  in  camp  were  not  without 
their  diversion.  Somebody  always  had  a  good  story 
to  tell  of  what  had  happened  during  the  day, — 
either  comic  or  tragic,  —  and  occasionally  somebody 
would  sing,  if  he  wasn't  too  dry  to  raise  his  voice, 
and  the  others  weren't  too  tired  to  listen.  One  song 
in  particular  became  quite  popular.     It  was  sung  to 


308  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

the  tune  of  "  Marching  through  Georgia,"  and  two 
of  the  lines  ran  thus :  — 

"  We're  marching  on  to  Malolos  from  Manila  by  the  sea ! 
Marching  on  to  Malolos  ! " 

In  two  days  the  regiment  made  an  advance  of 
three  miles  more.  During  this  time  a  violent  storm 
was  encountered,  and  officers  and  privates  were 
drenched  to  the  skin.  But  as  it  was  a  little  cooler 
afterward,  everybody  was  glad  that  it  had  rained. 

It  was  during  the  worst  of  the  shower  that  Ben's 
company  took  temporary  shelter  in  an  abandoned 
house  by  the  roadside.  The  house  had  been  used 
as  a  rebel  headquarters,  and  on  the  table  still  lay 
the  sheets  of  paper  and  pen  and  ink  the  rebel  com- 
mander had  left  behind  him  in  his  flight.  On  one 
of  the  sheets  were  scrawled  a  lot  of  figures,  and  on 
another  several  sentences  in  Spanish.  Then  Ben 
took  up  a  third  sheet,  and  found  lying  under  it  an 
empty  envelope,  on  the  back  of  which  were  several 
columns  of  figures,  marked  at  the  top  with  the  dollar 
sign,  the  leading  sum  being  $124,000. 

"  Humph !  somebody  has  been  figuring  in  Ameri- 
can money,"  he  mused,  and  turned  the  envelope  care- 
lessly over.      Then    he   stood   spellbound,   for   the 


"  OX  TO  MALOLOS  !  "  309 

envelope  was  one  that  had  been  used.  It  was 
stamped  and  postmarked  Buffalo,  New  York,  and 
was  addressed  to  Braxton  Bogg,  Esq.,  Cashier 
Hearthstone  Savings  Institution,  City. 

"My  gracious,  can  it  be  possible  that  he  was 
here  ? "  burst  from  the  acting  captain's  lips.  "  It 
must  be.  But  if  he  was  here,  he  must  have  joined 
the  insurgents,  — or  else  he  was  their  prisoner."  He 
studied  the  envelope  again.  "  One  hundred  and 
twenty-four  thousand  dollars,  eh?  Can  it  be  that 
that  is  what  he  has  saved  out  of  the  hundred  and 
forty  that  were  missing?" 

The  discovery  excited  Ben  not  a  little,  and  he 
told  his  lieutenants  and  several  others  of  it,  describ- 
ing Braxton  Bogg  as  closely  as  he  could.  "  Remem- 
ber, there  is  a  reward  of  one  thousand  dollars  for 
the  capture  of  the  rascal,"  he  concluded.  He  was 
in  great  hopes  that  the  regiment  would  move  on 
immediately,  but  no  further  advance  was  made  until 
the  following  morning. 

At  sunrise  the  troops  under  General  MacArthur 
were  again  in  motion,  moving  toward  the  small 
village  of  Bocave.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the 
railroad  the  fighting  continued  as  heavy  as  before, 
and  it  was  discovered  that  the    Filipinos   had   torn 


310  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

up  the  track  and  destroyed  a  portion  of  the  bridge. 
One  stand  was  taken  by  the  rebels  and  then  they 
fled  to  Bigaa,  the  next  town. 

By  this  time  the  thermometer  was  at  ninety  in 
the  shade,  and  it  wanted  yet  an  hour  to  noon. 
At  least  forty  soldiers  had  dropped  out,  overcome 
by  their  exertions  and  as  many  more  had  been 
killed  or  wounded.  But  the  cry  was  still  "  On  to 
Malolos ! " 

"Sure,  an'  we  kin  rist  in  Aguinaldo's  palace 
whin  we  git  there,"  remarked  Casey.  "  It's  a 
feather  bed  ye'll  be  afther  havin',  Stummer." 

"  A  fedder  ped  !  "  snorted  the  German  volunteer. 
"  Not  py  dis  climate,  Dan,  —  I  vos  radder  haf  an 
ice  pox  alretty.  Of  you  find  Carl  Stummer  miss- 
ing, look  for  a  grease  sphot  on  der  road  —  dot's  me." 
And  a  short  laugh  went  up. 

From  Bigaa  the  army  pushed  on  along  the  rail- 
road valley  toward  Guiguinto,  a  place  of  considera- 
ble importance,  three  and  a  half  miles  southeast 
of  Malolos.  By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they 
had  reached  a  small  stream  within  sight  of  the 
town.  Here,  as  usual,  both  the  railroad  and 
the  foot  bridges  were  gone.  It  was  seen  that  the 
Filipinos  had  taken  up  a  strong   position   near   the 


"  ON   TO   MALOLOS  !  "  311 

railroad  station,  and  no  sooner  did  the  Americans 
appear  than  they  were  given  a  warm  reception. 

As  before,  the  Engineering  Corps  was  again 
called  to  the  front,  and  went  to  work  in  the  face 
of  a  storm  of  bullets,  to  fix  up  the  railroad  bridge 
which  was  the  less  damaged  of  the  two  structures. 
The  task  progressed  rapidly,  and  inside  of  half  an 
hour  the  bridge  was  so  far  mended  that  a  battalion 
of  infantry  was  able  to  leap  across  it,  others  hav- 
ing in  the  meantime  taken  to  the  water  at  several 
fording  spots  which  were  hunted  up.  Then  the 
artillery  came  over  the  bridge,  drawn  by  the  sol- 
diers, the  mules  being  made  to  swim  the  stream. 

As  soon  as  the  field-pieces  could  be  drawn  to  a 
commanding  point  a  rapid  fire  was  poured  into 
the  rebels'  position,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
infantry  made  a  concerted  rush  all  along  the  line, 
which  measured  half  a  mile  or  more.  Down  went 
Ben's  company  into  a  hollow  and  across  the  stream, 
and  then  up  the  other  side,  each  man  perspiring 
freely,  puffing  like  a  porpoise,  and  firing  as  rapidly 
as  he  could  load  and  sight  his  weapon. 

"  You  are  doing  nobly,  boys ! "  cried  the  young 
commander.  "  Keep  it  up,  and  we'll  be  the  first 
into   the   capital.       Remember,    we   have   less   than 


312  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE   PHILIPPINES 

four  miles  more  to  go!  Drive  them  out  of  their 
trenches  !  Now  then,  all  together ! "  And  away 
went  the  command,  other  companies  following. 
Musketry  rattled,  the  field-pieces  boomed  out,  the 
soldiers  cheered  and  yelled,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
went  waving  lustily  down  the  whole  line.  Before 
such  an  inspiring  advance,  nothing  could  hold  out, 
and  as  the  Americans  came  closer,  one  after  an- 
other of  the  rebel  companies  fell  back,  doggedly 
and  full  of  rage.  As  they  passed  through  Gui- 
guinto  the  ever  present  torch  was  called  into  use, 
and  many  buildings  were  razed.  The  railroad 
station,  however,  was  saved,  along  with  some  roll- 
ing stock  which  had  found  its  way  down  the 
tracks  from  the  upper  end  of  the  road. 

"  One  more  day's  fighting  and  we'll  be  in  the 
rebel  capital,"  said  Ben  to  Gilbert,  when  they  met 
that  evening,  after  a  hasty  supper.  "  I  wonder 
what  General  Aguinaldo  thinks  of  the  war  now?" 

"I  reckon  he  thinks  things  are  all  against  him," 
responded  the  Southerner.  "  The  loss  of  his 
capital  will  be  a  serious  blow  to  him,  not  because 
he  wants  the  town,  but  because  it  will  show  all 
of  the  natives  that  their  leader  is  not  as  powerful 
as  he   claims  to   be.      So  far  a  good   many  of   the 


"  ON   TO   MALOLOS  !  "  313 

Filipinos  living  at  a  distance  have  imagined  that 
they  were  winning  instead  of  losing.  I  saw  one 
of  their  newspapers  yesterday  in  which  it  spoke 
of  their  glorious  victory  at  Manila  and  along  the 
Pasig." 

"They  are  badly  whipped,  Gilbert,  if  they  will 
only  believe  it.  A  few  more  hot  fights,  and  all 
they  will  be  able  to  do  will  be  to  take  to  the 
mountains  and  carry  on  a  guerilla  warfare." 

"The  better  class  won't  countenance  that,  Ben. 
I  think  that  before  long  they'll  sue  for  peace,  and 
sue  mighty  hard,  too." 

"  I  hope  so.  A  campaign  out  here  isn't  all  fun 
—  even  if  a  fellow  is  acting  captain.  By  the  way, 
I  see  you  are  acting  first  lieutenant  of  your 
company." 

"Yes;  poor  Andery  and  Dilks  were  both  shot. 
I'm  thinking  I'm  a  pretty  lucky  fellow  to  escape." 

"  That  is  what  I  am  thinking  of  myself,"  an- 
swered the  acting  captain  of  Company  D.  "  With 
our  fellows  falling  all  around  us,  there  is  no  tell- 
ing who  will  be  next.  I  sincerely  trust  it  isn't  I," 
he  concluded,  little  dreaming  of  what  the  battle  of 
the  morrow  had  in  store  for  him. 

Poor    Stummer    had    been    wounded,    but    how 


314  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

badly  Ben  did  not  know.  As  soon  as  he  was  able 
be  hunted  up  the  regimental  surgeon  and  requested 
the  particulars. 

"He  has  been  shot  in  the  shoulder,"  answered 
Surgeon  Fallox.  "  It  is  rather  an  ugly  wound, 
but  by  no  means  dangerous." 

"And  how  is  Carl  resting?" 

"  Oh,  he's  a  hero,  that  German,  and  bears  up 
finely.  When  I  bound  up  the  wound  he  set  his 
teeth  and  didn't  utter  a  single  groan.  When  I 
was  leaving  him  he  called  after  me :  '  Docthor, 
tell  dem  dot  I  ain't  dead  yet,  und  as  soon  as  I  gits 
me  up  ag'in  I  vos  fight  twist  so  hard  as  efer  vos ! ' " 

"  And  how  long  do  you  suppose  he'll  be  in  the 
hospital  ?  " 

"That  will  depend  entirely  upon  his  constitution 
and  how  the  heat  affects  him.  Some  of  the 
wounded  ones  go  into  a  high  fever  out  here." 

"  Oh,  keep  him  out  of  a  fever  if  you  can,"  cried 
Ben.  "Do  your  best  for  the  poor  chap.  We 
can't  afford  to  lose  such  a  good  man." 

"I'll  certainly  do  all  I  possibly  can,"  said  the 
surgeon. 

There  was  but  little  sleep  in  camp  that  night. 
Although  all  were  tired  out,  each  man  was    think- 


"  ON  TO   MALOLOS  !  "  815 

ing  of  how  close  they  were  to  the  goal  for  which 
they  had  been  striving,  and  wondering  what  the 
events  of  the  next  day  would  bring  forth. 

"It's  been  a  tough  week  for  the  boys,"  said 
Major  Morris  to  the  acting  captain.  "  They  have 
fought  almost  constantly,  and  jungle  work  in  such 
a  climate  is  simply  killing.  I  trust  if  we  do  get 
into  the  rebel  capital  that  we  get  a  good  rest 
afterward." 

"I'm  afraid  we'll  have  to  open  a  hospital  there, 
major.  More  than  a  fifth  of  the  army  is  on  the 
sick  list,  so  I  understand." 

"  The  trouble  is,  the  boys  don't  know  how  to 
take  care  of  themselves.  For  instance,  three  of 
the  men  of  Company  A  got  hungry  and  filled  up 
on  green  bananas  and  half-ripe  cocoanuts.  Now 
they  are  doubled  up  with  cramps,  and  they  won't 
be  fit  for  duty  for  three  or  four  days.  But  I 
must  acknowledge  I  feel  weak  myself,  and  I  am 
very  careful  of  what  I  touch." 

At  that  moment  an  orderly  dashed  up.  "  The 
general  wishes  to  see  you  at  once,"  he  said,  ad- 
dressing the  commander  of  the  first  battalion. 
"  He  has  some  private  work  he  wishes  you  and 
some  officer  of  your  selection  to  undertake." 


316  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE  PHILIPPINES 

"  If  that's  the  case,  you  had  better  come  with 
me,  Russell,"  replied  the  major,  and  both  hurried 
to  the  general's  headquarters. 

The  mission  to  be  undertaken  was  soon  explained. 
Scouts  were  scarce,  and  as  the  major  had  formerly 
acted  in  that  capacity,  the  general  wished  him  to 
go  out  and  reconnoitre  the  immediate  front.  In 
less  than  ten  minutes  the  major  was  off,  with  Ben 
at  his  side. 

It  was  a  dark  night,  but  few  stars  showing,  and 
it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  they  proceeded. 
They  were  halted  at  their  own  picket  line,  but 
soon  explained  matters  and  were  allowed  to  pro- 
ceed. 

"  There  is  a  slight  hollow  to  our  left,  captain," 
whispered  the  major,  when  they  had  advanced 
about  fifty  yards.  "I  think  we  had  better  take 
to  that,  eh?" 

"I  agree,  major.  And  I  guess  we  had  better 
stop  talking  from  now  on." 

"Right  you  are.  If  it  comes  to  the  pinch  we'll 
let  our  pistols  do  the  barking,"  concluded  the 
commander  of  the  first  battalion. 

In  a  minute  more  the  hollow  was  gained,  a  little 
gully  running  north   and   south.     They  knew   that 


"  ON   TO   MALOLOS  !  "  317 

the  Filipino  pickets  must  be  ahead,  although 
how  far  off  they  could  not  tell.  They  had  pro- 
ceeded less  than  two  hundred  feet  when  a  crack- 
ing sound  in  the  brush  ahead  brought  them  both 
to  a  sudden  halt. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL  — 
CONCLUSION 

To  Ben  the  noise  ahead  sounded  as  if  some  per- 
son had  stepped  upon  a  dry  branch  of  a  tree.  He 
clutched  the  major's  arm,  and  both  stood  like 
statues,  and  strained  their  ears. 

The  sound  was  not  repeated,  but  a  slight  click 
took  its  place,  showing  that  some  one  had  pulled 
back  the  hammer  of  a  rifle  or  pistol. 

"  We've  run  into  somebody,"  whispered  the  major 
into  Ben's  ear.     "  Will  you  go  on  with  me  ? " 

"  If  you  say  so,"  was  the  faint  reply.  "  But 
take  care,  or  you'll  be  a  corpse  in  another  second." 

Dropping  down  in  the  tall  grass,  they  advanced 
slowly  and  painfully  to  where  a  rock  arose,  over- 
looking some  bushes,  with  a  jungle  of  trees  and 
vines  beyond.  At  the  rock  they  paused  again  to 
listen. 

Suddenly  Major  Morris  pulled  Ben's  wrist,  and 
318 


CAPTURE  OP  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL      319 

pointed  to  their  right.  There  in  the  gloom  they 
could  barely  distinguish  the  form  of  a  Tagal  who 
sat  on  a  fallen  tree  trunk,  with  his  long  Mauser 
resting  on  his  half -bare  knees,  for  his  dirty  uniform 
was  in  tatters.  They  both  concluded  that  the 
Tagal  was  gazing  in  their  direction,  and  dropped 
out  of  sight  immediately. 

"  Did  he  see  us  ?  "  whispered  Ben. 

"  I  don't  know.  It  is  darker  here  than  over 
there.  He  must  be  one  of  their  pickets.  Come, 
let  us  crawl  off  in  the  opposite  direction." 

"But  if  he  saw  us,  he'll  give  the  alarm." 

"  We'll  have  to  risk  that,"  returned  the  major  of 
the  first  battalion. 

He  advanced  slowly,  and  Ben  brought  up  in  the 
rear.  Once  or  twice  he  looked  back,  but  the  sentry 
had  not  changed  his  position.  In  five  minutes  more 
they  were  close  to  the  Filipino  encampment. 

It  lay  in  another  hollow,  and  to  the  west  was  a 
small  hill,  where  two  field-pieces  had  been  planted. 
"  That  is  what  I  wanted  to  find  out  about,"  said 
the  major,  pointing  to  the  guns.  "Now  we'll  look 
around,  and  see  how  many  more  they  have  in  this 
vicinity.  If  you'll  go  up  that  little  watercourse, 
I'll  go  down,  and  we  can  come  together  again  in, 


320  UNDER   OTIS   IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

say,  half  an  hour.  To  separate  in  that  fashion  will 
save  time,  and  that  is  what  the  general  wants  us 
to  do." 

"I'm  willing,"  answered  the  acting  captain  of 
Company  D,  and  in  a  moment  he  was  alone,  pick- 
ing his  way  in  the  darkness  with  only  the  calls  of 
the  night-birds  to  disturb  him. 

The  young  volunteer  felt  that  he  must  have  his 
wits  about  him.  He  was  in  the  enemy's  country 
and  acting  as  a  spy.  Discovery,  therefore,  would 
mean  death,  and  he  felt  sure  that  the  Filipinos  would 
not  be  long  in  carrying  out  such  a  sentence.  "If 
it  comes  to  discovery,  I'll  sell  my  life  as  dearly  as 
possible,"  was  his  grim  thought. 

The  watercourse  wound  northward,  and  Ben 
began  to  climb  a  slight  knoll.  Here  the  trees 
were  set  out  in  more  or  less  of  a  regular 
fashion  and  the  underbrush  was  all  cleared  away, 
showing  that  it  was  part  of  a  well-kept  plantation. 
A  light  caught  his  eye,  gleaming  from  a  window 
but  a  short  distance  away. 

Prompted  by  curiosity,  Ben  advanced  toward 
the  light,  to  discover  a  long,  low  farmhouse,  sur- 
rounded by  several  outbuildings  including  a  large 
rice  barn.     The  house  was  dark  save  for  the  single 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL     321 

light  that  came  from  a  large  sitting  room  to  the 
front. 

"  I  must  be  outside  of  the  rebel  encampment 
now,"  he  thought,  as  he  looked  around  in  vain  for 
pickets  or  Filipino  soldiers.  "I  wonder  who  is  in 
the  house." 

He  approached  with  caution  until  he  was  less 
than  ten  steps  from  the  lighted  opening.  He 
could  now  see  into  the  room  with  ease,  and  the  sight 
which  met  his  gaze  filled  him  with  astonishment. 

Seated  at  the  centre  table  in  the  room  were 
two  men,  the  one  a  small,  thin  individual  dressed 
in  the  uniform  of  a  general  in  the  Filipino  army. 
The  other  man  was  Braxton  Bogg. 

"  My  gracious,  I've  tracked  him  at  last ! "  burst 
from  the  young  volunteer's  lips.  "I  wonder  what 
he  is  up  to." 

The  Filipino  general  and  the  cashier  were  con- 
versing in  such  low  tones  that  Ben  was  able  to 
catch  only  an  occasional  word.  The  conversation 
was  in  English,  and  the  acting  captain  of  Com- 
pany D  drew  closer  that  he  might  take  in  all  that 
was  being  said. 

"It  is  your  one  chance,"  the  Tagal  was  saying. 
"  You  can  accept  it,  or  not,  as  you  choose." 


322  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  But  it  isn't  fair  —  it  is  downright  robbery !  * 
came  from  Braxton  Bogg,  with  almost  a  groan. 
"  How  do  I  know  that  your  bonds  will  be  worth 
anything  ?  " 

"I  can  give  you  my  word  for  that,  senor.  You 
need  not  be  afraid  of  the  investment." 

"It's  robbery,  I  say.  If  I  don't  invest  you  will 
treat  me  as  a  spy  and  shoot  me,  and  then  take 
the  money  anyway.  It  is  no  way  in  which  to 
act  toward  a  gentleman  who  is  willing  to  throw 
in  his  fortunes  with  you." 

"  We  need  the  money  —  the  Filipino  cause  is  a 
grand  one  —  you  should  not  object.  Tell  me  where 
the  money  is  hidden  in  Manila,  and  if  our  secret 
emissaries  can  get  it,  all  will  go  well  with  you,  and 
I  will  see  that  you  are  raised  to  the  honor  of  a 
captaincy  on  General  Aguinaldo's  private  staff." 

"I  will  tell  you  nothing.  I  have  had  enough 
of  this  sort  of  thing.     I'm  going  to  get  out." 

As  Braxton  Bogg  spoke  he  sprang  up  and  ran 
for  the  doorway.  In  an  instant  the  Filipino  leaped 
upon  him,  drawing  a  bolo  as  he  did  so.  The 
sight  of  the  weapon  made  the  cashier  shiver,  and 
even  Ben's  heart  gave  a  sudden  jump.  But  then 
came  an  unexpected  shot,  and  the  rebel  fell  back,  hit 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL     323 

in  the  chest.  From  his  position  on  the  floor,  Bogg 
had  fired,  and  by  good  luck  his  aim  had  proved 
fatal.  In  a  moment  more  the  cashier  was  flying 
from  the  house  and  in  the  direction  of  the  grove 
of  trees  through  which  Ben  had  just  picked  his 
way. 

Without  waiting  to  think  of  consequences,  the 
young  volunteer  followed  the  man,  under  the  trees 
and  straight  for  the  watercourse  previously  de- 
scribed. From  a  distance  came  an  alarm,  and  both 
of  the  Americans  knew  that  the  rebel  camp  would 
soon  be  astir  from  end  to  end. 

As  long  as  Braxton  Bogg  kept  running  in  the 
direction  of  the  home  picket  line,  Ben  was  willing 
to  let  him  run.  "  I  hope  he  goes  straight  through," 
he  murmured.  "Won't  he  be  surprised  when  I 
confront  him." 

"  Alto ! "  came  the  sudden  cry,  and  a  Filipino 
guard  sprang  up  from  behind  some  brush.  But 
Braxton  Bogg  only  ran  the  faster.  The  guard 
took  steady  aim  and  let  drive.  A  yell  of  pain 
told  that  the  cashier  had  been  struck,  but  he  still 
kept  on  his  course. 

Ben  had  to  pass  the  same  picket,  and  the  fellow 
was   reloading  with  all    possible    speed.       "Alto!" 


324  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

came  the  command  again,  but  now  Ben  fired  be. 
fore  the  rebel  could  get  a  second  shot.  "  Ameri- 
cano ! "  screamed  the  guard  and  fell  flat,  struck  in 
the  knee. 

The  entire  camp  was  now  aroused,  and  the 
pickets  on  both  sides  began  to  shoot.  Bogg  was 
still  running,  and  he  covered  the  ground  so  rapidly 
that  Ben  had  all  he  could  do  to  keep  him  in  sight. 
Soon  the  man  reached  an  American  picket,  who 
brought  him  to  a  standstill  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet. 

"I  am  an  American  —  I  just  escaped  from  the 
rebels ! "  gasped  Bogg,  and  it  can  truthfully  be 
said  that  he  was  ready  to  drop.  "Take  me  to 
your  general  if  you  don't  believe  me." 

"  All  right,"  was  the  reply.  "  Corporal  of  the 
guard ;  number  seven ! "  added  the  picket,  in  a 
loud  voice,  and  the  cry  went  down  the  line  to  the 
guard  tent.  As  the  corporal  came  running  up,  so 
did  Ben. 

"  Why,  this  is  Captain  Russell ! "  cried  the  cor- 
poral. 

"I  stopped  the  other  man  first,"  explained  the 
picket.  "  He  said  he  just  escaped  from  the  rebel 
camp." 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL     325 

"So  I  did.  I  want  to  get  to  a  safe  place  —  out 
of  the  reach  of  those  dirty  rascals,"  said  Braxton 
Bogg,  who  had  not  noted  the  corporal's  words.  "  I  — 
I  am  an  American  citizen  and  I  demand  protection." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Bogg,  we'll  give  you  all  the 
protection  you  require,"  put  in  Ben,  coldly,  and 
caught  the  rascal  by  the  arm.  "  I'll  take  charge 
of  this  man,  corporal.  He  is  wanted  by  the  United 
States  authorities  for  embezzlement." 

"  What,  you ! "  gasped  the  cashier,  and  his  face 
fell  all  in  an  instant.  "  Why  —  er  —  how's  this  ?  " 
he  stammered. 

"You  just  come  with  me  and  I'll  show  you  how 
it  is,"  answered  Ben,  and  marched  the  man  off 
without  further  ado,  the  corporal  of  the  guard  fol- 
lowing, to  learn  what  it  all  meant. 

At  the  guard  tent  the  situation  was  explained, 
and  Braxton  Bogg  was  placed  under  arrest.  It 
was  found  that  the  shot  from  the  rebel  picket  had 
penetrated  his  side,  and  a  surgeon  was  called  in  to 
dress  the  wound,  which  looked  as  if  it  might  prove 
serious. 

Capturing  the  bank  cashier  had  taken  time,  and 
as  soon  as  Ben  had  assured  himself  that  Bogg  was 
in  safe  hands,  he    hurried    off    again    to    where    he 


326  UNDER   OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

had  promised  to  meet  the  major.  But  that  officer 
had  become  alarmed  by  the  various  shots  fired  and 
was  coming  back  to  camp  with  all  possible  speed. 
The  two  met  between  the  lines,  a  hurried  report 
was  made  out,  and  Major  Morris  went  off  to  re- 
port to  his  superior. 

It  can  be  imagined  that  Ben  retired  highly- 
elated.  Braxton  Bogg  was  a  prisoner,  and  had 
stated  that  almost  all  the  money  taken  from  the 
bank  was  hidden  in  Manila,  in  the  house  of  a 
Spaniard  named  Benedicto  Lupez,  with  whom  he 
had  stopped  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  "  Won't  Larry 
and  Walter  and  Uncle  Job  be  surprised  and  de- 
lighted when  I  let  them  know  of  what  has  oc- 
curred ?  "  thought  the  young  volunteer. 

But  now  was  no  time  for  private  affairs,  no 
matter  of  what  importance.  The  rebel  capital  was 
almost  in  sight,  and  General  MacArthur  calculated 
to  capture  it  before  the  setting  of  another  sun. 
Early  in  the  morning  the  troops  began  to  move, 
two  rapid-firing  guns  flanking  the  railroad  track, 
with  two  guns  of  the  Utah  battery  on  the  right 
and  two  guns  of  the  Sixth  Artillery  on  the  left. 
Beyond,  in  the  jungle,  and  over  the  rice  fields, 
came  the  volunteers  and  regular  infantry. 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  EEBEL  CAPITAL     327 

Ben's  regiment  advanced  for  nearly  a  mile  with- 
out encountering  serious  resistance,  and  it  was 
thought  by  many  that  the  rebels  had  fled  straight 
through  Malolos.  But  about  noon  the  Filipinos 
were  discovered  behind  a  strong  intrenchment  near 
one  of  the  rice  fields,  and  an  opening  fire  laid 
half  a  dozen  of  the  Americans  low.  Soon  a  strong 
rattle  of  musketry  to  the  east  and  west  showed 
that  nearly  all  of  the  United  States  troops  were 
being  engaged. 

"  We  must  force  the  fighting  —  we  must  drive 
them  out ! "  was  the  command  passed  along. 
"The  first  battalion  will  advance  along  the  right 
edge  of  the  field."  And  away  went  the  fourth 
company  in  skirmish  order,  Ben  leading  as  before. 
They  had  started  away  from  Manila  ninety-six 
strong,  now  the  roll-call  held  but  seventy-seven 
names. 

As  they  had  done  many  times  before,  the  Fili- 
pinos held  the  intrenchments  as  long  as  possible, 
then  fled  in  wild  disorder,  burning  whatever  came 
ready  to  hand.  But  the  American  troops  were 
close  upon  their  heels,  so  that  the  firebrands  had 
but  little  opportunity  to  do  serious  damage. 

w  Hurrah,  there  is    Malolos ! "    came  the    cry,  an 


328  TTNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

hour  later,  and  looking  ahead,  Ben  saw  a  fair- 
sized  town  lying  in  a  hollow.  In  the  centre  of 
the  town  was  a  tall  flagstaff  from  which  proudly 
floated  the  Filipino  flag. 

"We'll  have  that  rag  down  pretty  soon,"  came 
from  a  number  of  Montana  men,  who  were  forcing 
the  fighting  on  the  right.  "  All  push,  boys ! " 
And  they  did  "  push  "  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
rebels  went  flying  in  all  directions.  Soon  the 
thick  smoke  rolled  up  from  Malolos,  the  Filipino 
signal  that  they  had  evacuated  the  place.  A 
crowd  of  Kansas  soldiers,  led  by  gallant  Colonel 
Funston,  were  the  first  to  gain  the  streets  of  the 
town,  and  the  Montana  men  followed,  hauling 
down  the  rebel  flag  and  replacing  it  with  their 
own.  Then  the  regiment  to  which  Ben  belonged 
came  in,  followed  by  all  of  the  others,  some  of 
them  still  fighting  the  Filipino  sharpshooters  who 
had  secreted  themselves  in  a  number  of  the  houses. 

"  We  must  clean  them  all  out ! "  was  the  order, 
meaning  the  sharpshooters,  and  Ben  just  turned  to 
cheer  on  his  men  when  he  felt  a  sudden  shock  in 
the  breast,  followed  by  a  strange  sinking  sensation. 
He  put  his  hand  up,  to  withdraw  it  covered  with 
blood. 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL     329 

"I'm  struck!"  he  gasped  to  several  of  the  sol- 
diers who  came  running  up.  "  A  sharpshooter 
fired  at  me  from  that  window,"  and  as  he  tried  to 
point  with  his  hand  he  fell  back  in  a  dead  faint. 
It  was  Casey  and  Gilbert  who  carried  him  to  the 
rear,  and  they  did  all  they  possibly  could  for  him 
until  the  surgeon  arrived.  Then  the  volunteers 
ran  to  the  front  again,  and  shortly  afterward  the 
last  of  the  Filipinos  were  utterly  routed,  and  Malolos 
was  ours. 

A  wild  cheering  went  up  when  it  was  realized 
that  the  rebel  capital  was  really  captured.  But 
there  was  still  work  to  do,  as  the  palace  and 
other  important  buildings  were  in  flames,  threaten- 
ing the  destruction  of  the  whole  place.  Wher- 
ever the  fire  was  likely  to  gain  headway  it  was 
checked.  The  only  inhabitants  left  were  the 
Chinese,  who  were  busy  looting  the  deserted 
houses.  Their  stealings  were  speedily  stopped,  and 
they  were  compelled  to  turn  in  and  fight  the  fire 
and  afterward  clean  up  the  streets. 

With  the  taking  of  Malolos  it  was  felt  that  the 
backbone  of  the  rebellion  was  broken.  Aguinaldo 
had  retreated  still  farther  northward,  the  rebels 
were  scattered  in  many  directions,  and  their  leaders 


330  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

quarrelled  among  themselves,  some  wanting  tc  con- 
tinue the  fight,  and  others  thinking  it  best  to  sue 
for  peace.  What  the  outcome  was  to  be,  time 
alone  could  tell. 

As  soon  as  the  town  became  quiet,  a  hospital 
was  established  there  in  which  Ben  and  a  number 
of  others  who  had  been  wounded  were  placed.  It 
was  found  that  the  bullet  had  caused  a  glancing 
wound  in  the  young  acting  captain's  side,  and  that 
while  the  injury  was  not  serious  yet  he  must 
remain  quiet  for  some  time  to  come. 

Many  came  to  him  while  he  lay  sick,  among 
the  number  Gilbert  and  Major  Morris.  "It's  too 
bad,  Ben,"  said  the  young  Southerner.  "  But  I 
reckon  this  campaign  is  about  over." 

"  He  did  nobly,"  said  the  major.  "  Not  an  offi- 
cer in  the  whole  command  could  have  done  better 
than  Acting  Captain  Russell  did.  I  predict  that 
he'll  be  a  colonel  of  volunteers,  or  a  brigadier 
general,  before  his  career  closes.  I  know  he  is 
already  listed  for  promotion  of  some  kind." 

"Well,  I  won't  object  to  a  regular  captaincy," 
answered  Ben,  with  a  faint  smile.  "And  no 
matter  what  position  I  hold,  I'll  always  try  to  do 
my  best  while  fighting  for  Old  Glory." 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  REBEL  CAPITAL     331 

Here  we  will  bring  the  story  of  Ben  Russell's 
campaign  "  Under  Otis  in  the  Philippines "  to  a 
close.  We  have  followed  him  and  his  brother 
Larry  in  an  interesting  trip  half  around  the  world, 
and  we  have  seen  him  fighting  bravely  for  many 
weeks  in  and  around  Manila  and  other  places  of 
importance  in  the  island  of  Luzon.  Now  that  he 
lay  wounded,  his  bravery  did  not  desert  him,  and 
to  use  Gilbert  Pennington's  way  of  expressing  it, 
"he  took  his  medicine  Hke  a  man." 

As  soon  as  he  could,  Ben  wrote  to  Larry  telling 
him  of  the  capture  of  Braxton  Bogg,  who  had 
been  transferred  to  the  Manila  jail.  He  also  wrote 
to  Walter  and  to  Job  Dowling,  and  my  readers 
can  well  imagine  with  what  joy  all  received  his 
communications.  Yet  they  were  sorry  to  learn  he 
had  been  wounded,  and  Larry  obtained  a  leave  of 
absence  in  order  to  run  up  to  Malolos  to  visit 
him. 

"And  what  will  you  do,  Larry?"  asked  Ben, 
when  he  and  his  brother  were  on  the  point  of 
parting.     "  Will  you  remain  in  the  navy  ? " 

"  For  the  present,  yes,  since  Walter  is  going  to 
do  so.  I'd  rather  be  on  a  cruiser's  deck  than  any- 
where." 


332  UNDER   OTIS   IN   THE   PHILIPPINES 

"  And  I  would  rather  be  on  the  battlefield  or  in 
camp,"  replied  the  young  volunteer. 

"  We  are  a  family  of  fighters,  Ben,"  concluded 
Larry.  "Hurrah  for  Old  Glory!"  And  the 
wounded  brother  faintly  echoed  the  cheer, 

In  the  meantime  the  civil  authorities  took  tht 
bank  case  in  hand,  with  a  view  to  transporting 
Braxton  Bogg  back  to  the  United  States  and 
recovering  every  dollar  that  had  been  appropriated. 
But  this  task  was  much  harder  than  anticipated, 
as  will  be  related  in  another  volume,  to  be  entitled 
"  The  Campaign  of  the  Jungle ;  Or,  Our  Flag  in 
the  Philippines,"  in  which  we  shall  again  meet  not 
only  Ben  and  Larry,  but  also  Gilbert  Pennington 
and  all  our  other  friends. 

And  now  we  leave  Ben,  for  the  present,  and 
all  the  rest.  No  matter  what  befalls  them  in  the 
future,  may  they  always  be  as  successful  in  their 
undertakings  as  the  young  lieutenant  was  when 
fighting  "Under  Otis  in  the  Philippines." 


The  boys' delight  — the  "  Old  Glory  Series." —  The  Christian  Advocate,  N.Y> 

THE  OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

BY   EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

FIRST  VOLUME 

UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA 

Or  The  War  Fortunes  of  a  Castaway 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute      Price  $1.25 

THIS  book,  published  in  September,  1898,  at  once  sprang  tc  the  front 
as  the  greatest  success  among  books  for  boys  since  the  famous  Army 
and  Navy  series  by  "  Oliver  Optic,"  and  its  popularity  has  steadily  in- 
creased as  the  succeeding  volumes  of  the  series  have  appeared. 

Edward  Stratemeyer  weaves  the  incidents  of  the  nnval  conflict  at  Manila  into  a 
narrative  of  experiences  and  adventure  which  is  wholesome  in  spirit  and  full  of 
excitement,  and  which  the  boys  will  like, —  Congregationalist. 

SECOND  VOLUME 

A   YOUNG  VOLUNTEER  IN  CUBA 

Or  Fighting  for  the  Single  Star 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THE  career  of  Larry  Russell,  as  recorded  in  "Under  Dewey  at 
Manila,"  was  the  hit  of  the  season  among  juveniles.  The  fortunes 
of  Larry  are  equalled  in  interest  by  the  adventures  of  Ben,  his  older 
brother,  and  his  friend,  Gilbert  Pennington,  and  the  many  exciting  scenes 
through  which  they  passed  during  their  service  in  the  army.  Ben  enlisted 
in  a  New  York  volunteer  regiment,  while  Gilbert  joined  Colonel  Roosevelt's 
famous  Rough  Riders.  Their  life  in  camp,  the  capture  of  El  Caney,  the 
charge  at  San  Juan  hill,  are  all  vividly  described. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  boys  are  clean,  manly  fellows,  and  deserve  the  popularity 
which  doubtless  awaits  them. —  Christian  Register, 

THIRD  VOLUME 

FIGHTING  IN  CUBAN  WATERS 

Or  Under  Schley  on  the  "Brooklyn" 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

IN  this  book  Walter  Russell,  brother  to  Larry  and  Ben,  the  respective 
heroes  of  the  two  preceding  volumes  of  the  series,  finds  his  way  to 
Boston,  secures  employment,  enlists  in  the  navy,  and  is  assigned  to  the 
"  Brooklyn."  Then  follow  intensely  interesting  chapters,  telling  of  Com- 
modore Schley,  the  routine  life  of  the  "Jackies,"  and  blockade  and  dis- 
covery of  Cervera's  fleet,  followed  by  the  memorable  conflict  of  July  3. 

*'  Fighting-  in  Cuban  Waters  "  is  in  the  same  hearty,  manly  spirit  that  has  made 
the  other  volumes  of  the  Old  Glory  Series  so  much  liked.  —  journal  of  Education. 


OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

FOURTH  VOLUME 

KMDER  0775  ZV  TiZE  PHILIPPINES 

Or  A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THE  "  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics  "  is  none  other  than  our  eld  friend 
Ben  Russell,  who  upon  reenlisting  for  service  in  the  Philippines  is 
given  the  same  position,  that  of  second  lieutenant,  to  which  he  had  beeD 
promoted  for  gallantry  while  "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba." 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  is  in  a  class  by  himself  when  it  comes  to  writing1  about  Arneri. 
can  heroes,  their  brilliant  doings  on  land  and  sea.  —  Times,  Boston.  . 

FIFTH  VOLUME 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Under  Laivton  through  Luzon 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

BEN  and  Larry  figure  in  the  "  Campaign  of  the  Jungle,"  which  has  a 
truthful  and  graphic  historical  setting  in  two  expeditions  of  the  noble 
General  Lawton,  whose  portrait  adorns  the  cover,  the  first  being  that  di- 
rected against  Santa  Cruz  on  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  and  the  second  from 
Manila  to  San  Isidro,  through  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  jungle.  The 
same  sterling  qualities  that  have  made  these  brothers  so  well  liked  carry 
them  through  perilous  scenes  with  true  American  fortitude, 
A  good  war  story.  —  San  Francisco  Bulletin. 

SIXTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Or  Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

12tno    Cloth    llustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Medallion  cover 
320  pages    $1.25 

WE  have  here  a  thoroughly  up-to-date,  clean,  and  entertaining  boys' 
story,  complete  in  itself,  but  forming  the  sixth  and  last  volume  of 
the  "  Old  Glory  "  Series.  The  boys  in  all  parts  of  the  country  have  been 
anxiously  waiting  to  learn  the  final  fortunes  of  the  three  Russell  brothers, 
Larry,  Walter,  and  Ben,  with  scarcely  less  interest  in  Gilbert  Pennington, 
hero  of  "On  to  Pekin,"  and  not  forgetting  other  old  friends  on  land  and 
sea.  All  are  here,  doing  their  duty  in  the  same  straightforward  way  as 
ever;  and  the  final  battles  in  the  Philippines  are  followed  with  that  accu- 
racy of  statement  which  Mr.  Stratemeyer  always  employs,  thereby  giving 
general  value  to  his  books  without  in  the  least  impairing  the  interest  of  the 
storv, 

Maintains  the  high  standard  in  attractive  narration  which  wai  set  by  the  firs', 
volume.  The  «i»  books  mako  s  joznplete  =ind  valuable  collection..,  —  "Nirm  V—& 
World 


THE  LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

|  III     11.11  II  ■■■■■■■111     I   ■1IIIIMII1  1    Ill  III— ■■ 

VOLUME  ONE 

THE  GUN  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Island  Camp 

321  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

A  BRIGHT,  breezy,  outdoor  story,  telling  how  several  lads  organized 
a  gun  club  and  went  camping  in  the  winter  time.  They  had  with 
them  a  trusty  old  hunter  who  revealed  to  them  many  of  the  secrets  of 
Nature  as  found  in  the  woods.  A  volume  any  boy  who  loves  a  gun 
will  appreciate. 

This   story  of    camping;   and   hunting   will   appeal   to  every  American  boy.— 
Register,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  BASEBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Winning  Ran 

315  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

WITH  the  coming  of  summer  the  boys  turned  their  attention  to 
baseball  and  organized  a  club,  and  played  many  thrilling  games. 
The  rivalry  was  of  the  keenest,  and  the  particulars  are  given  of  a  plot 
to  injure  the  Lakeport  nine  and  make  them  lose  the  most  important 
game  of  all. 

Will  appeal  to  every  healthy  American  boy. — American,  Baltimore,  Md. 

VOLUME  THREE 

THE  BOAT  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Water  Champions 

300  pages     Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

T""HIS  time  the  scene  is  shifted  to  the  lake.  The  boys  all  know  how 
*  to  row  and  sail  a  boat,  and  they  organize  a  club  and  have  fun 
galore.  During  a  squall  on  the  lake  something  of  great  value  is  lost 
overboard.  The  abduction  of  a  little  girl  adds  to  the  interest  of  the 
volume.  Every  lad  who  loves  the  water  will  read  this  volume  with 
pleasure. 

This  author  knows   how  to  please  red-blooded  lads.—  Times-Union,  Albany, 
N.T. 


THE  LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FOUR 

THE  FOOTBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  More  Goals  Than  One 

Illustrated  by  Arthur  O.  Scott     12mo    Cloth    Price,  $1.25 

"JTOOTBALL  is  one  of  the  most 
■*■  popular  sports  of  this  country, 
and  in  this  tale  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has 
shown  what  the  jolly  and  dauntless 
boys  of  Lakeport  did  when  the  foot- 
ball season  came  around.  Their 
heroes  of  the  baseball  field  were  not 
long  in  organizing  an  eleven  and 
getting  into  practice,  and  there 
followed  a  series  of  exciting  contests 
for  the  Lake  Pennant.  The  boys  had 
a  college  man  to  coach  them,  and 
made  a  number  of  brilliant  plays,  some  of  which  are 
described  by  the  author  in  detail.  How  the  quarter-back 
of  the  eleven  helped  his  rival  of  the  gridiron  to  get  away 
from  his  enemies  and  reach  the  field  in  time,  and  then 
defeated  him,  is  told  in  a  fashion  that  all  football  players 
will  appreciate.  But  the  story  is  not  all  of  the  football 
field,  and  some  jolly  times  on  the  water  and  on  an  island 
are  depicted  ;  and  the  author  shows  how  a  youth,  intensely 
shrinking,  overcame  his  timidity  and  made  something  of 
himself  by  simply  saying  *'I  will"  and  sticking  to  it. 

''The  author  of  the  Lakeport  Series,  Mr.  Edward  Stratemeyer,  is  well 
known  for  his  delightful  boys'  stories." — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"The  Lakeport  Series,  by  Edward  Stratemeyer,  is  the  lineal  descendant 
of  the  better  class  of  boys'  books  of  a  generation  ago." — Christian 
Advocate,  New  York, 

"The  Lakeport  Series  will  be  fully  as  popular  as  the  author's  Dave 
Porter  Series." — San  Francisco  Call. 


Mr.  Stratemeyer's  popularity  will  be  increased  by  "Dave 
Porter." — Times,  Hartford,  Conn. 

DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

VOLUME  ONE 

DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL 

Or  the  Schooldays  of  an  American  *Boy 

312  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

NTEVER  was  there  a  brighter,  more  manly,  thoroughly  up-to-date  boy 
than  Dave  Porter,  and  all  boys  who  read  about  him,  and  girls  too, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  will  be  sure  to  love  him  from  the  start.  How,  as 
a  green  country  boy,  he  went  to  Oak  Hall,  how  he  was  hazed,  and  how 
he  had  to  fight  his  way  through  is  told  with  a  naturalness  that  is  true 
to  life. 
The  story  is  told  with  great  fidelity  to  real  life. — Eagle,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

VOLUME  TWO 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Stormy  Petrel 

286  pages     Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

T"\AVE  is  the  same  bright,  wide-awake  youth  he  was  at  school,  and  his 

adventures  on  shipboard  and  among  the  unexplored  islands  of  the 

South  Seas  will  render  him  dearer  to  the  hearts  of  the  boys  than  ever.  Dave 

is  trying  to  solve  the  mystery  of  his  parentage,  and  several  of  his  school 

chums  are  with  him  during  his  wanderings,  some  sharing  his  perils.     A 

great  tidal  wave  sends  the  ship  into  a  strange  harbor  and  there  follows  a 

mutiny  which  places  a  number  on  board  in  great  peril. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  heroes  are  full  of  fun,  and  the  activity  that  goes  with  youth, 
6trength  and  high  spirits.  They  are  all  safe — they  work  hard  and  play  fairly. 
—Star,    Washington,   D.  C. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  seldom  introduced  a  more  popular  hero  than  Dave  Porter. 
He  is  a  typical  boy,  manly,  brave,  always  ready  for  a  good  time  if  it  can  be  obtained 
in  an  honorable  way. —  Wisconsin,  Milwaukee,    Wis. 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEflEYER 

VOLUME  THREE 

DAVE  PORTERS  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 
Or  Winning  the  Medal  of  Honor 

304  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

IN  this  volume  the  scene  is  shifted  back  to  Oak  Hall,  and  once  again 
Dave  becomes  the  centre  of  as  interesting  a  group  of  schoolboys  as  it  is 
psssible  to  imagine.  There  is  a  strong  plot,  with  plenty  of  fun,  and  not 
a  few  rivalries  on  the  athletic  field,  and  the  whole  volume  has  a  swing 
and  a  dash  that  are  irresistible. 

A  good  wholesome  story,  full  of  fun  and  go. —  Christian    Work,  JV.  Y. 
Each  story  that  comes  from  Bdward  Stratemeyer's  pen  is  eagerly  read. — Boston 
Herald. 

VOLUME  FOUR 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Or  The  Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy 

285  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

TN  this  book  Dave  is  still  at  his  well-liked  boarding-school,  Oak  Hall, 
■*■  with  his  lively  but  manly  comrades,  who  rejoice  with  him  that  he  not 
only  has  discovered  his  parentage,  but  has  a  father  and  sister  living,  though 
unaware  of  his  existence.  Dave  cannot  rest  until  he  finds  those  of  his 
own  family,  and  having  secured  leave  of  absence  from  school  and  accom- 
panied by  his  chum,  the  son  of  a  United  States  Senator,  he  goes  to 
England  only  to  find  that  his  father  has  left  on  an  expedition  to  the  upper 
part  of  Norway.  The  boys  follow  in  a  most  exciting  pursuit  which  is 
replete  with  adventure. 

The  success  of  the  "Dave  Porter  Series"  is  already  surpassing  Mr.  Stratemeyer's 
previous  triumphs. — American,  Nashville,    Tenn. 

Dave  Porter  is  a  typical  American  schoolboy,  a  scholar,  an  athlete  and  a  good 
fellow. — Herald,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FIVE 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES 

Or  For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Hall 

Illustrated  by  Charles  Nuttall     12mo     Cloth     Price,  $1.25 

TN  this  volume  Dave  is  back  at  Oak 
Hall  after  his  thrilling  trip  to  find  the 
father  he  has  never  seen.  His  chums 
are  leaders  in  the  activities  of  the 
school,  and  Dave  continues  to  be  the 
best  type  of  an  American  schoolboy. 
"For  the  honor  of  Oak  Hall"  he 
brings  about  the  complete  reformation 
of  a  former  bully,  who  was  rapidly 
going  to  the  bad.  Athletic  events  and 
jolly  fun  are  constantly  mingled,  and  as  evidence  that  the 
boys  are  not  at  school  entirely  for  that,  many  take  high 
honors  at  the  close  of  the  year,  Dave  being  prize  essayist, 
to  the  great  delight  of  his  friends. 

"The  best  type  of  American  schoolboy." — Boston  Globe. 

"One  of  the  best  of  Edward  Stratemeyer's  books  for  boys." — Evening 
News,  Newark,  N.  y. 

"Athletic  events  are  told  with  a  zest  that  shows  the  author's  ability  in 
that  direction." — News,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

"Will   hold  the  attention  of   the  readers  from  beginning  to  end." — 

Citizen,  Brooklyn,  N.   Y. 

"Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  a  sympathetic  understanding  of  boy  nature,  and 
does  not  make  the  mistake  of  making  it  all  a  bed  of  roses  for  his  hero." 
—  Union,  Springfield,   Mass. 


MEXICAN  WAR  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  ONE 
FOR  THE  LIBERTY  OF  TEXAS 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 


MUCH  is  told  here  of  Sam  Houston,  Davy 
Crockett,  Colonel  Bowie,  and  other  Texan 
heroes  in  connection  with  the  entertaining  story 
of  the  fortunes  of  two  brothers,  Dan  and  Ralph 
Radbury.  The  fall  of  the  Alamo  is  introduced, 
and  other  famous  incidents. 

VOLUME  TWO 

WITH  TAYLOR  ON  THE 

RIO  GRANDE 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 

AS  with  each  of  the  series,  this  is  a  complete  story,  but  continues  the 
adventures  of  the  patriotic  young  Radbury  brothers.  They  serve 
under  General  Taylor  at  Palo  Alto,  Monterey,  and  Buena  Vista  and  share 
in  the  glory  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready." 

VOLUME  THREE 
UNDER  SCOTT  IN  MEXICO 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 

IN  the   concluding  volume    of  this  valuable   historical  series    Dan   and 
Ralph  come  under  the  command  of  Gen.   Winfield  Scott  and  finally 
bear  their  part  in  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  proud  city  of  Mexico. 

These  books  were  first  issued  under  a  pen  name  and  by  another 
publisher.  We  have  now  placed  them  in  the  regular  list  of  this  unequaled 
writer  for  boys,  with  an  entirely  new  cover  design  in  keeping  with  the 
uniformly  rich  appearance  of  our  Stratemeyer  books. 


"  There  are  few  live  boys  in  the  country  who  have  not  read  the  intensely 
interesting  books  of  Mr.  Stratemeyer,  and  who  do  not  have  a  warm  place  in  their 
hearts  tor  him.  No  living  American  writer  of  boys'  books  is  so  widely  read,  and 
none  so  sure  of  a  cordial  welcome  for  everything  that  comes  from  his  pen." — 
Chicago  News. 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

— — ^ — — — — — ■—  i  ii  i     ————— 

VOLUME  ONE 

LOST  ON  THE  ORINOCO 

Or  American  Boys  in  Venezuela 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  tells  of  five  American  youths,  who,  with  their  tutor,  sail 
from  New  York  to  La  Guayra,  touching  at  Curacao  on  the  way. 
They  visit  Caracas,  go  westward  to  the  Gulf  of  Maracaibo  and  lake  of 
the  same  name,  and  at  last  find  themselves  in  the  region  of  the  mighty 
Orinoco,  and  of  course  they  have  some  exciting  experiences,  one  of  which 
gives  name  to  the  book. 

Its  pictures  of  South  American  life  and  scenery  are  novel  and  instructive.— 
The  Literary  World,  Boston. 

The  scenes  described  are  of  the  sort  to  charm  the  hearts  of  adventurous  boys— 
The  Outlook,  N.  T. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  YOUNG  VOLCANO  EXPLORERS 

Or  American  Boys  in  the  West  Indies 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

"THE  boys,  with  their  tutor,  sail  from  Veoezuela  to  the  West  Indies, 
1  stopping  at  Jamaica,  Cuba,  Hayti,  and  Porto  Rico.  They  have 
numerous  adventures  on  the  way,  and  then  set  out  for  St.  Pierre,  Mar- 
tinique, where  they  encounter  the  effects  of  the  eruption  of  Mt.  Pelee, 
and  two  of  the  boys  are  left  on  a  raft  to  shift  for  themselves  Life  in  the 
West  Indies  is  well  portrayed. 

VOLUME  THREE 

YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  ISTHMUS 
Or  American  Boys  in  Central  America 

306  pages     Cloth      Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

DELATES  adventures  in  a  tour  covering  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica, 
*■*■  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The  party  travel  the  various  canal 
routes,  and  have  a  number  of  highly  interesting  experiences.  The  vol- 
ume contains  a  vast  amount  of  timely  information,  and  will  be  read  with 
interest  by  young  men  as  well  as  boys. 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FOUR 

YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  AMAZON 
Or  American  Boys  in  Brazil 

300  pages     12mo     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

AN  absorbing  tale  of  sight-seeing  and  adventures  in 
Brazil.  The  five  boys  and  their  tutor  travel  the 
whole  seacoast  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Para,  and  then 
move  up  the  Amazon  into  the  rubber  country  and  beyond. 
The  volume  is  filled  with  pen-pictures  of  life  as  it  exists 
in  Brazil  to-day,  and  will  be  heartily  enjoyed  by  all  young 
people. 

The  Pan-American  Series  by  Edward  Stratemeyer  has  been  declared  by 
the  boys  of  this  country  to  be  the  most  up-to-date  of  all  reading  for  the 
young.    Filled  with  action  and  good  fellowship. —  Waverley  Magazine. 

VOLUME  FIVE 

TREASURE  SEEKERS  OF  THE  ANDES 

Or  American  Boys  in  Peru 

310    pages     Illustrated  by  Charles  Nuttall      Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  takes  the  young  explorers  from  the  head 
of  the  Amazon  River  to  the  coast  of  Peru  and  then 
into  the  mighty  snow-topped  mountains.  One  of  the  boys 
obtains  possession  of  a  secret  regarding  a  Spanish  treasure 
and,  with  a  companion,  goes  in  quest  of  the  same,  and  both 
get  lost  in  a  series  of  caves.  The  volume  is  up-to-date  and 
will  please  both  young  and  old. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  acquired  the  art  of  weaving  a  good  deal  of  solid 
information  with  his  web  of  startling  adventure. — San  Francisco  Bulletin. 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 


This  book  must  not 
be  taken  from  the 
Library  building. 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


